A New Enemy (The Strength of a Soldier)
by sailorillyana
Summary: Galaxia has been defeated, the Earth was safe. The peace, however, is interrupted when a Soldier from a distant galaxy comes bringing news of a new danger, greater than any ever known. Will the Senshi prosper again, or is this the end of the Moon Kingdom of the future?
1. Introduction: Andromeda

The wind was- what was it called? Cold, the Earthlings named it. Illyana looked around. Japan, a country she had heard so much about, was beyond anything she'd ever seen before. She was told specifically to only walk on this world, for it would be a danger to fly, which was the method of travel from where she originated. She sniffed the air. The meeting place was just up ahead.

As soon as she stepped into the apartment, Illyana was greeted by the senshi she had heard so much about. She kneeled down before them.

"Sailor Moon- no, Neo Queen Serenity, I have heard much about you." The young woman before her eyed her suspiciously. "My Earth-translated name is Illyana. I am from the galaxy of Andromeda. I am protected by that galaxy and, in turn, protect it." Within moments, she was clothed into a Sailor fuku, a purple skirt with purple sleeves, brown boots and bows. "I am Sailor Andromeda. I was asked here by Sailor Pluto."

"Please, stand up." Tuxedo Mask requested, "And then tell us exactly why you're here."

As she stood, her eyes closed and her breath caught and she froze. As soon as the episode ended, she opened her eyes, exasperated, and looked at each of the senshi, "We must get to the park, fast. But first, I must talk to Prince Endymion in the other room." Usagi eyed her warily as she and Mamoru departed to the kitchen.

"Endymion." She bowed again, "It is an honor. Your name, as well as Neo Queen Serenity's, echoes throughout the universe."

"Why are you here?" He asked again behind a clenched jaw.

"King, there is a great danger coming; greater than any before, even Chaos itself. And we are headed to our first battle with it. But, sir, you must stay here. You cannot come with us. This planet will die if you aid us. You must stay and protect this planet in the way you know how to, without fighting." He studied her, obviously taken off-guard that she did not look like any of the senshi he's encountered. Her skin was dark and her eyes were a turquoise, she was not as thin as the other women, but she still carried with her the air of strength and agility.

"Who are you?" The words fell recklessly from his throat.

"Sailor Andromeda of the Andromeda galaxy, I have the gift of Precognition. I was the first of my species to evolve with the ability, and many followed decades after. Mine is the strongest, though. I can see Earth years into the future, whereas the rest may only see a few Earth months. Endymion-."

"Please, call me Mamoru."

"Mamoru, I know that if you leave this place, the Earth will die. You must protect it with your heart and with your dreams, not with physical force. The senshi and I are capable of handling this first battle. Please, know, this is not a revolution." Her eyes rose from the floor to meet his and her voice became stern, "This is an extermination."

* * *

AN: I haven't written anything in a long time, so I may be slow on the uptake with excitement. Andromeda is a character I created myself (though, I'm not claiming 100% originality, as I'm not the only fan who wants their own senshi). All criticisms welcome. I will be using their original Japanese names, though (I hate the English names, so apologies for any confusion)! xoxo**Please, please review**!


	2. Chapter 1: A Battle and an Answer

"You said we had an enemy. Where are they? Who are you fooling?" Jupiter was angry, her voice tight. The group had been in the park for over an hour, and there was not an enemy or threat anywhere nearby, at least by Mercury's calculations.

Andromeda dropped her head, "They are coming. I assure you, they are coming."

"Maybe you're our enemy," Mars suggested, taking an attack-ready position.

Andromeda's eyes snapped to hers, "Back down, Mars! I am no enemy. I am your ally. If Pluto could leave her post and prove to you that she sent for me after noticing an interruption in the Space/Time continuum, she would, but this is not an adequate time for that."

Mercury stepped forward, "If you are here to help us, why don't we know anything about you?"

"Now is not the time, Sailor Mercury. The enemy is approaching." The foreign senshi nodded her head toward the direction of the park's courtyard.

"I don't see anything." Venus remarked, her fists clenched at her side. All of them, every single one aside from Sailor Moon herself, were angry and frustrated and did not believe her.

"Mamo-chan told me before we left to trust her, and so I do. He seems to know more and I believe him."

"She could've cursed him when we weren't paying attention," Jupiter muttered under her breath. Andromeda refused to reply. She knew this much: if you defend yourself, you are guilty; if you stay silent, a proper decision cannot be reached.

Sailor Moon turned toward her close friend in frustration, "No. Luna told me."

Andromeda smiled and tilted her head, "So, Luna is an eavesdropper to look out for?"

As soon as her voice rose to end the sentence as a question, a thundering crash came from the same area that she'd originally signaled the enemy to appear from. A large, abnormal being appeared, a thick fog developing around it, and immediately threw an attack at the team. Mars responded with her Sniper attack and Venus with her Shock, Jupiter and Mercury knocked to the ground from the power of the first offense. The attacks were, at best, mild against the beast. As it came into view, the Senshi were shocked. Its face was twisted into a terrifying smile and its eyes were black holes; something from a horror film. Its body moved in odd, disjointed ways and its attacks were stronger than even Andromeda herself had thought. The senshi froze, save for Andromeda, who pulled out her Galaxy Tiare and aimed it to the sky. "Andromeda Star Flash!" she shouted as she moved the weapon to aim for the beast's head. As the attack rang out, the thing halted, but was not dead.

"Sailor Moon! Now!" Andromeda cried out in exasperation, nearly drained of energy.

The Eternal Tiare appeared in front of Sailor Moon, and she readied herself for the attack, "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" A thick silence fell over the city as the beast began to disintegrate and disappear. Usagi detransformed as a direct result of using more energy than she used to.

She fell to the ground, tired and devoid of power, "I forgot that I tend to detransform from my Eternal self."

Andromeda helped her up, "You must train much, much harder, Sailor Moon. This enemy is stronger than any you have ever encountered." Suddenly, a scream rang from Minako's throat. Everyone turned, seeing that the heavy fog that surrounded the park moments ago had lifted, and saw the numerous dead bodies scattered about the park – mere obstacles in the enemy's path. Usagi stumbled forward and tried to transform once again, failing due to her lack of energy. "It is too late, Sailor Moon. They cannot be saved, not even with your healing powers." She turned toward the area covered in bodies and lifted her hands in front of her and her eyes closed. A small whisper could be heard leaving her mouth, but its origins were that of an unknown language. The bodies rose from the ground and disappeared. She finally spoke up, "They are not gone, but elsewhere, unharmed."

"Who are you?" Usagi repeated in her weakened state. Andromeda was tiring of hearing the question, and resolved to tell them everything as soon as they returned.

* * *

Illyana put Usagi's powerless body on the couch back in Mamoru's apartment and each senshi detransformed. "It seems that now is a good time to tell you all about me. As you know, I come from a distant planet in a distant galaxy. My planet, it looks nothing like Earth. Surely, it is beautiful, but it is not so… corrupt and occupied, I guess you could say. Those kinds of things reflect in the aesthetics of a planet if you know what to look for. We are what your planet would look like if not for the greed of humans and the demanding requirement to be loved by another."

"Do you not experience love like we do?" Usagi asked, more energetic now that Mamoru had taken a place by her side. She moved closer to him, horrified at the thought of not having him to love her.

A thin smile appeared on Illyana's face, "No, but we do love. Our love is a result of being connected with our planet, with the things that make it as beautiful as it is, but no, we do not love others in the way humans do. We do not even breed, but we reproduce. You see, in my galaxy, there are no sexes. When new offspring are formed, it is done so asexually. The beings of my species, we reproduce when we hibernate during the time when it is, what is your word for it? Cold. A few chosen members reproduce, it is all by chance, and it happens while we are asleep. I guess that since I am a senshi, I would be classified as female here in this galaxy. Naturally, I am the only senshi of my planet, but there is another story with that."

She had planned to keep the story for another time, but Mamoru rose to make tea and each of the girls before her leaned forward to hear more. With a heavy sigh, she continued, "I would not be here if not for Galaxia's attack. And I do not mean that she saved me, but rather she gave to me the courage and ability to leave the galaxy I am meant to protect. Galaxia, when she first came into the Milky Way, attacked your senshi, which you have not met. Sailor Sagittarius is protector of this galaxy, but she was terribly injured and fled to heal. She watched helplessly as Galaxia attacked, and you will never understand the way she felt, but is eternally grateful to you for saving the galaxy and, by extent, the cosmos, Sailor Moon. After she fled, I spotted her at the edge of Andromeda and brought her to my planet to heal. She is still in the process, but remains strong enough to protect my home while I am away. That is why I am here."

Her face fell as Mamoru placed a cup of tea on the table in front of her. Her hair was a darker brown than Makoto's, but it shone red in the light, he noticed. "Do you only have a human form as a senshi?"

She laughed, "If you were to see what the beings on my planet looked like, you would be terrified. Of course, that would be if you could see us at all."

She explained no further, taking her cup of tea and moving to the window, and that's when Ami stood up. "Why did Pluto send you? What significance do you have?"

Illyana turned her head to respond, "Well, aside from being protector of the closest galaxy, I am much stronger than all of you. I can kill my enemies, but I had Sailor Moon do it in our battle in order to assess just how much training she would need. I knew that, at the very least, she would be able to kill our first enemy. When Setsuna came to me, she promised an easy and quick trip through space so long as I would aid the Inner senshi. She consulted me about the Space/Time interruption and I told her of the new enemy, as I have the gift of Precognition, and she asked me to come." She quickly turned and smiled at Usagi, "That is why I spoke to Mamoru earlier, to keep him here and safe. This new enemy… they have quite an abhorrence for the Earth, and so you can imagine what would have happened had the planet's own guardian shown up."

Rei stood up, "So, you can see the outcome of our battles? If you can see the future, then you can see how it all would end."

Illyana turned back toward the window, staring out into the city, "Time does not work the way you seem to perceive it to. The future is ever-changing and there is never a set path. The outcome of the battles is a blur, as well as anything further from that." Rei returned to her seat, let down. Illyana held in herself the truth that they could not yet know.

* * *

AN: So, I realized that I haven't used this website long enough to actually know how formatting and stuff works. And sometimes I write things that don't make sense (see: the author's note on the Introduction chapter before I noticed/edited it). I'll grow used to it soon enough! Again, please review, ok? c:


	3. Chapter 2: The Calm Before the Storm

"Jupiter!" Illyana snapped. "Focus. When we are fighting this enemy, we cannot back down, not for a moment?"

The young girl hesitated. In Earth Years, Illyana was about three hundred years old, and she felt so old amongst them. She wouldn't live as long as those of the Silver Millennium, but with memories like hers, she didn't mind.

"Andromeda, I can't give you a full-power attack. You'll be injured."

Illyana rolled her eyes, "I am ready. Come on! No stopping."

"Jupiter Oak Evolution!" The shout rang through the mountain range the senshi were training in. Illyana was pushed back a hundred yards, nearly knocked unconscious. She struggled to her feet.

"Good, that was… very good, Jupiter." She put her fingers against her temples and took a deep breath, regaining her balance and strength. "Venus, would you like to go next?"

The thin, blonde-haired girl stared at her. "I… I'm not sure. You look like you could use a break."

"No, I am fine. We do not have time for breaks." Illyana persisted. "Please, Venus."

With a sigh, she stuck her hand out. "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"

She was out. Not for long, but enough to give the inner senshi time to run to Illyana and shake her awake. "No, no. I am sorry. I am fine. I believe it is your turn, Mercury."

"This isn't healthy, Andromeda!" She protested, "You need to take a break! We could… we could kill you if this goes on!"

"Do not be foolish," Illyana spat back. "Your attacks are strong, but I am still stronger and so I will survive. Mercury, I will not ask again."

The girls took their original positions and, with reluctance, Ami followed orders. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"

Illyana nearly drowned in the wave that hit her. She balanced herself on her hands and knees as she regained footing, coughing the entire time. "Good, perfect. That was very strong, Mercury. Well, Mars, you are the last. Sailor Moon, of course, gets the finale." The group gasped, fearing that Illyana was requesting Usagi to use her fatal attack. "Oh, no, do not worry! I wanted her to use her healing attack so maybe I can actually walk back to the bus stop after dinner. Mars, if you would."

Rei closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again, "Mars Flame Sniper!" Illyana was thrown another hundred feet and landed face down, unable to move for several minutes. _Makoto is the strongest_, she thought, _but Rei has so much passion behind her attacks._

Illyana slowly rose to her feet, her sailor fuku torn and tattered, and slowly turned to Usagi. "Sailor Moon, if you would."

There was no hesitation as the next sentence echoed throughout the mountains, "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

Illyana had never experienced such a cleansing feeling. Her body repaired itself, her fuku as well. She had no more scrapes, no more painful, cracked ribs. She could breathe without pain and walk with ease. "Oh my," she sighed, "What a wonderful feeling." Usagi giggled behind her glove, her innocence seeping through the intensity of the day. Everyone followed, their training finally over with, and the air of stress lifted.

* * *

Back at Mamoru's apartment, Usagi plumped down on the couch. Illyana was staying at Rei's and the other girls had gone home.

"It's been a long day." Usagi complained, yawning and stretching her arms.

Mamoru sat down next to her, handing her a cup of Oolong. "Your training went well, though. At least something important got done."

She took a sip, "I'm scared, Mamo-chan. She said you would've died if you fought with us. Why?"

He shrugged, staring at the floor, "I'm not sure, Usako. I think it's because I'm not powerful like the senshi." He sighed sadly, "I couldn't help even if I wanted to. I do have the Tuxedo LA Bomber attack, but it wouldn't help against the new enemy."

Usagi sat her tea down and took put her hands on his knees, "I just need you safe, Mamo-chan. That's all I care about."

He rested his free hand on her cheek, kissing her forehead. "Don't worry about me."

She began to cry; typical Usagi. She threw her arms around him, causing him to spill tea on his couch, and squeezed. "Don't tell me not to worry! All I do is worry about you!"

Mamoru laughed, setting his now-empty cup down on the table. "Come on, we should sleep now. It's been a long day." Usagi sniffed in agreement, grabbing her pajamas and slinking to the bathroom to change.

When she entered the bedroom, Mamoru was climbing into bed. The young woman smiled to herself, happy to love someone so wonderful. It saddened her to think of Illyana not feeling the same about someone else, having to live a life without the love she loved so much. As she settled herself next to him in bed, their eyes met. "I love you," she murmured softly as she rested her head against his chest.

Elsewhere, Illyana was wide awake, discovering that the enemy is much, much stronger than she had originally estimated.

* * *

AN: This one took a bit longer to write because it's one of those ~buffer chapters~, which I've never excelled at, but it should pick up the pace here soon.


	4. Chapter 3: A Thing About Love

"Oh my god! This is so _kawaii_!" Usagi's voice was loud enough for the entire mall to hear. Mamoru sighed, already having spent 1000 yen on her. She shoved it in his arms and excitedly ran away to continue browsing.

Illyana poked her head around the corner, "Do you not get sick of buying things for her?"

The man laughed, "It makes her happy. When she's happy, it makes me happy."

"Happy. Mamoru, what is… your human love like?" She inquired.

Mamoru looked at her, confused, "It's hard to explain, I guess. I don't suspect you completely understand the range of human emotion."

Illyana shrugged timidly, "I understand what is described as happiness, anger, and sadness, Minako and Makoto explained them to me."

He breathed heavily and leaned against the wall, "When you're with the person you love, you feel overwhelmed with happiness. It's almost unimaginable sometimes. When they're angry with you, it makes you sad, you know? You just want to hold them and beg their forgiveness, even when it's something silly – Usagi is always getting upset over silly things, but it's just another quirk of hers. She has many. When it comes to it, I'd do anything for her."

Illyana chuckled, "It sounds a bit terrible. Happiness is nice, but it sounds like a lot of work."

A crooked smile grew on his face, "It is, but it's worth it."

"Love." Illyana whispered to herself, secretly wishing she could feel such an emotion. It was not the same as human love for her species and people, though. She would never be so fortunate. She took a moment to take in her surroundings; there were couples everywhere: holding hands, hugging, kissing, talking and joking around, they all looked so happy. She sighed deeply and looked up to see Ami approaching her.

"Ana-chan," she said cheerfully. They all decided that Ana was an easy nickname to keep up with. "Come with me! I wanna go to this tea place! I hear it's the best."

"I like tea," she said in response, not really knowing what else to say. She was much less on edge today, her precognitions showing that the next attack wouldn't be for at least a week, and she just needed a break from worrying about the enemy.

They sat down at a small booth in the back of the café and Ami stirred a cube of sugar into her tea. "Ami," Illyana said, her voice cracking with the first letter. She cleared her throat, "I was speaking with Mamoru about love and I was wondering what you think of it."

She giggled, "Oh, I've never been one for love. I mean, I did love someone once, but I don't think it was to the extent that Usagi-chan and Mamoru-chan love each other. It is a wonderful feeling." She took a sip of her tea.

"That is what Mamoru said," Illyana whispered to herself. She spoke up, "It is odd to me, how you experience love in contrast to how those in my galaxy do. Our love is connection with the nature of our respective planets. They go by the same label, but have completely different emotions."

"I must say," Ami sat back in her seat, "You caught onto the language pretty fast."

"People on my planet learn at very quick paces." She looked up, "We could probably even confuse you for one of our own if you took the same form as us."

The blue-haired girl's eyes lit up, "What form do you take? I'd love to know more about your home galaxy."

"My species is very thin and very tall, we would tower over yours. It is odd being in this human form, in the way that I am about two meters shorter than I am there."

"Two meters!?"

"We are very tall, I told you." Illyana laughed, "Our heads are very round, and our fingers are 20 centimeters long. Like some of your animals here, we hibernate in holes and reproduce during that time. They are easy to dig, although you may assume they are because of how large we are, but I assure you we do not notice the extra work. The planet I was born on is about two times the size of earth and three hundred kilometers from our star. I travel from planet to planet in order to fulfill my guardian duties. I have made very good friends with the other sailor guardians."

"Why were you not accompanied by any of them?" Ami asked curiously.

Illyana choked back the truth with a sip of tea, "I am stronger than them and they would be of minimal help to our cause."

Ami nodded in understanding. "What's science and medicine like where you're from?"

"We are very advanced. We do not necessarily have governments or city centers like earth, but we have medical huts with medicine you would not even dream of existing. We cannot bring people back from death, yet, but I believe we are on the brink of such a thing. We have huts where food is stored and distributed accordingly so no one starves, but it is nothing like earth. Also unlike earth, we would not allow our settings to be described as primitive, as we are very advanced, like I said, just in a much different way. Earthlings would not understand us. If anything, they would fear us."

Ami smiled sweetly. "I don't fear you," she said, "I think it's beautiful."

* * *

AN: This is a side chapter (I got some helpful feedback that told me to slow the fuck down, so I'm trying!) and I just wanted to give a bit more background information. I have this issue where I have a lot of things in my head and then I try to rush and get them all out without actually doing a good job with it, but I'm going to put in a bit more effort! Also, I'm going to try and spread it out more (especially since the ideas aren't coming as quickly as they did originally, and posting three chapters in six days is a bit excessive). REVIEWS ARE ETERNALLY APPRECIATED x3


	5. Chapter 4: Havoc, Let Downs, a Truth

_Tomorrow_. Illyana bit her lip, crossing off another day on the calendar she had hidden under her bed. She had been given it the day after she met them all. Makoto taught her how to understand time, Ami had taught her how to read, Rei how to pray.

Her precognition abilities frustrated Illyana daily; she could see years into the future sometimes, unless a battle was coming, and then she could see nothing but the impending violence. Illyana didn't sleep much that night. Every important person in her life back in Andromeda had told her to believe in the Moon Princess, that she was strong enough to help anyone so long as they believed in her. Illyana had her doubts, but something had to give. Everyone had so much faith in this young girl with a bright future, so obviously she was missing something by doubting her.

The morning began early. Illyana slept in bursts and was unable to fall back asleep, and finally rolled out of bed at 7. It was summertime, so Makoto and the other girls slept until around 10 (12 for Usagi). She spent most of the morning drinking coffee and mulling over the fight that would be happening around three in the afternoon. She prayed to the God that Rei told her all about and begged him to give Sailor Moon strength, to help her fight and win against the enemy. Maybe there was hope, maybe they could all defeat the enemy and save the universe again, as they had with Galaxia. Or maybe they couldn't; maybe Illyana was holding onto this false hope that something good would come of all of this mess, she didn't know. Not yet.

Like clockwork, there was a rap at the door around 10. "Come in," she called.

"Hey, how long have you been up? Are you all right?" Makoto asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"A while. I will be tomorrow, I think." Illyana was growing antsier as time progresses. "When are we convening at Rei's? I have much to tell you all."

The girl looked at her nervously, "There's a battle today, isn't there?"

"Makoto. When are we convening at Rei's?" She asked more firmly.

"An… an hour." She was nervous, knowing the answer to her previous question. "I expect Usagi to be late."

"She always is," Illyana replied, a bit frustrated by the so-called powerful soldier.

"Ana-chan… are we in danger? Is this fight going to end badly?" The young girl was worried.

"We have a new, stronger enemy. _Of course_ we are in danger. But I told you that I do not know the outcome of our battles!" She was growing increasingly frustrated, wishing the day's fight would end already. "I… I spend so much time worrying about the outcome of this… this war. You girls are so carefree, and I envy you. I will never feel that kind of security. Not even if this turns out in our favor."

.

Usagi was forty-five minutes late to the meeting. Makoto was looking from Illyana to each of the others nervously the entire time. When the Star of the Show finally arrived, they got down to business. "This enemy is powerful," Illyana began. "It is not at all like the previous one, which was a beast. This is an actual human-like creature. It will speak to us. Pay no mind to anything it says. Remember: it works for the enemy."

"I'm scared!" Usagi cried out, curling into a ball and sobbing her high-pitched sobs.

Rei shot a look at her, "Usagi-chan! Now is no time! Stop being such a baby!"

"Rei-chan! You're so mean!" She continued to cry.

Minako laughed and rubbed the back of her neck, "Usagi-chan… come on… seriously!" Everyone but Usagi could tell that Illyana was on edge already.

"I don't wanna die!" She continued to sob.

"Shut up, Usagi! Shut up, shut up, shut up! You have no idea what is at stake here and all you care about is yourself. Why do you not get anything? You are so selfish!" Illyana was screaming at this point, her eyes were full of tears. "This thing is bigger than you and me and all of us, so just shut up!"

Everyone stared at her and an engulfing silence developed. After an eternity, Usagi spoke up. "I… I'm a crybaby, Ana-chan. I know it's frustrating and I'm sorry, but I won't let you down." She smiled a soft smile, "I promise."

Somehow, Illyana believed her and at 2:50 PM, they transformed and headed out for the forest nearby, where the next battle was to take place.

She appeared out of nowhere - a large, menacing human-like figure hovering in mid-air. Illyana stepped forward, already knowing what was coming. "I remember you!" The thing bellowed. "Your pathetic little galaxy was no match for _Havoc_! It was so cute watching you run away after your other senshi friend abandoned you and we held you down and made you watch us destroy that pathetic Andromeda galaxy."

"SHUT UP!" She turned to the senshi, "Attack!" The onslaught began. When the girls had been knocked down, Andromeda used her Star Flash attack with enough power to subdue the enemy. "Sailor Moon! Now!"

No one expected Sailor Moon to fail, for her to not be strong enough, despite the inners' best efforts to lend her their power. The beast simply laughed, "God, you guys are pitiful. Time to finish you off, I guess."

"Andromeda Star Flash!" She channeled enough power for it to be a kill attack, and the thing froze in mid-air before finally disintegrating.

All of the senshi stood up, weak. Mercury stepped forward, "Your home galaxy was destroyed? Why didn't you tell us?"

"No, I told you not to listen to it. I told you! It works for the enemy! It was just trying to break us down!"

Mars shook her head, she didn't believe it, neither did the others, but Andromeda wouldn't back down. "That's why it's so important to you," Usagi murmured, "You want your home galaxy back, too. And Sagittarius? Is that the senshi that abandoned you?"

"Sagittarius is weak!" She shouted, "She left me when I needed her most! That wretched Havoc killed all of the other senshi. She was the only one left and she and I could have combined our powers… but she left. Disappeared, and left me alone to die. But they would not just kill me, they forced me to watch them destroy Andromeda. None of you will ever understand that pain, no matter what it is you experience. Before they could kill me, I escaped, and came to you, hoping that together we could save the Milky Way and Andromeda and other galaxies that may have been destroyed. But you are too feeble, Sailor Moon. You only fight for love and this just is not enough for you. You have no emotional ties to this enemy like I do. They destroyed my home and forced me to watch. I thought I had a reason to fight, but you have proved to me that there is no hope and therefore no reason. I am going to stay for tonight, and I will be gone in the morning. I will find another galaxy and train their senshi until Havoc comes there. Maybe they can supply me with hope." She turned her back and began to walk away.

"No." Andromeda turned around, Sailor Moon was the one who spoke up. "No, there is hope. I am strong enough, you just have no faith in me, in any of us, so we can't do much for you. You have to believe in us."

She tightened her jaw, "How dare you. You pretend you empathize with my pain. You just do not like when people do not pretend that you are perfect, that you are some savior sent to save the universe. You have done it once, clearly you cannot do it again." She parted once again, heading towards Makoto's to finish out the rest of the evening alone in the spare room.

.

It was nearly midnight when anyone spoke to her again. Makoto knocked on the door, but didn't wait for a reply before coming into the room. "Illyana." Her voice broke.

"Makoto, I have no time for any of you. Leave me so I may rest."

"No, I can't let you leave without at least trying to help you understand. Ana-chan, you need to see that Usagi cannot perform well if any one of the senshi she is fighting with does not believe in her. That's how she defeated Galaxia and every enemy before her: we believed in her, in our princess and queen. That's what you need to do."

"I do not _need_ to do anything!" Illyana retorted. "How dare you come in here and try to tell me what I should do for my home to be restored. I will find someone that I can actually believe in." She grabbed her already packed bags, concluding that she would be leaving now instead of in the morning. "You will never understand the pain I have suffered, and continue to. So I am going to find someone that will." And she was gone.

* * *

AN: I'm hoping this chapter turned out as well as I wanted it to. It took me a while to write and it was pretty exciting, so I'm hoping the excitement didn't hold me back from translating the emotion onto the page. **Reviews are eternally appreciated! xo**


	6. Chapter 5: A Perilous Journey

It was dark, empty, and eerie outside. The sky was cloudy; no stars or light from the moon shone through the thick overcast. Illyana was alone in the city and she was experiencing an emotional pain she had only known once before. Her chest ached and she was sobbing. Memories of Sagittarius's betrayal flooded her mind. She concluded long ago that never would she forgive Sagittarius. Perhaps one day she would forgive Usagi, but when was another story.

She lifted her hand to wipe her cheek and heard a noise from behind a tree planted in the sidewalk near her. She froze and stared at the spot, wide-eyed, until a woman stepped out from behind it. "You seem so sad," she said quietly. "Are you all right?" Her hair was black and short, and she wore glasses with thick, rectangular frames.

"I do not believe I know you," she reluctantly replied.

"I'm Misaki." The woman stepped into the light and stuck out her hand, "I saw you walking alone and wanted to see how you were."

"Rough day," was all Illyana could muster without breaking down. "My name is Illyana, thank you for caring." She shook the stranger's hand.

Illyana sighed and began to walk away before Misaki spoke up again, "Would you like to talk about it?"

Frustrated, Illyana turned around, "Believe me, you would neither believe nor understand it."

The woman stepped closer, "Why don't you use contractions? Why say would not when you can say wouldn't?"

It was a peculiar question, something the senshi never asked about. Illyana was taken aback, "I… I am not much for them. I feel they discount the beauty of language."

Misaki cocked her head, "There are very few people who speak of the 'beauty of language'. Are you from another country? I know your skin is much darker than many Tokyo citizens, but that doesn't necessarily mean you weren't born here, I just have to ask."

Illyana shrugged, "Sure. You can say that, I guess."

"What country?"

Her mind went blank. She'd studied much about Earth geography and about the many cultures there, all in the few short weeks she'd been there. At the moment, though, she couldn't think of a single country from which her origins would make sense. Instead, she just stared at Misaki.

"Sorry, none of my business. What are you running from?"

"Excuse me?" The woman continued to shock her.

"You're crying and you're alone, so I'm assuming you're running away from someone."

"That is personal." Illyana was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"Sorry again, it just seems like you need someone to talk to!"

She was getting defensive, but Illyana wouldn't back down, "If I wanted to talk to someone, it would not be some stranger who was obviously following me!"

"If that's a veiled criticism of me, I won't hear it and I won't respond to it." The woman joked. Illyana rolled her eyes before storming off down the sidewalk, uncomfortable at the prospect that she probably had been following her for at least a little while. Honestly, she had hoped it was Usagi coming to apologize, but that probably wouldn't happen and Illyana was very aware of this crushing fact. However, she wasn't quite sure if she would forgive Usagi, but an apology was all she wanted before making her departure. To make matters even worse, her precognition skill had disappeared, and the last time it had happened was when her galaxy was destroyed.

.

"_Sagittarius!" Andromeda was screaming; the pain she felt all over was intense and left her unable to move. "Help me, please!"_

_The senshi, protector of the Milky Way, had promised to help Andromeda save her galaxy and home. She was scared and was covered in bruises and bloody scrapes and her eyes darted around, terrified – they both were. Andromeda screamed at her again, but she knew there was no saving the galaxy. It was too late. "I'm sorry," she whispered, before yelling "Sailor Teleport!" and using her last bit of energy to move to a different galaxy to heal._

No._ Andromeda was lost and had never known pain like she was feeling. _She has to just be going for help. She would not leave me. She promised!

_Havoc looked at her and gave an evil laugh, "Looks like it's just you, Andromeda. I hope you're ready to die."_

_She cried out, "Just kill me already! But spare my galaxy, I beg of you!"_

_Havoc laughed again and used one of its many tentacles to reach out and pick up Andromeda. It brought her to its face, "Spare your galaxy? But that's not what I'm here for!" It shouted unintelligible words and suddenly, Andromeda was frozen, her eyes wide open. She could see and hear and feel everything around her, but she could not move, and she could not close her eyes. Havoc flew outside of the galaxy and held Andromeda so that she was facing it, and shouted yet another command, and the senshi was forced to watch the only home she had ever known and loved explode before her eyes; each planet turned to dust in a flash, and stars swallowed up the debris before exploding themselves._

_ She couldn't close her eyes, but began to think of the only thing she could – she had the ability to telepathically give commands, and used it to save her people by securing them in an unseen, untouchable place that only she knew of. In the chaos, the spell Havoc cast on her weakened for a moment and Andromeda was able to escape to the nearest galaxy – the Milky Way. She had heard plenty of the senshi of the Silver Millennium that existed there, and she intended to employ their partnership. She had to bring back Andromeda, her home, and she knew they were the only ones who could help her, the only ones who gave her any sense of hope._

_._

"Usagi-chan, I tried to stop her." Makoto was in tears, curled in the corner of her bed and speaking to her best friend on the phone. "She wouldn't listen. I don't know what happened, I have no idea what I said, but she stormed off. We can't let her leave, Usagi. We can't."

"Don't worry, Mako-chan. Luna and I will find her before she leaves." Usagi was concerned, and she knew she could bring the galaxy back if Andromeda would just trust her. "I'll see you tomorrow! Ana-chan and I will be at Rei's for our meeting." She hung up and changed out of her pajamas. "Let's go, Luna!"

The cat nodded her head and they snuck out of Usagi's window, and Luna ran ahead to sniff Illyana out. Usagi called out for her until a woman walked up, "Are you looking for Illyana? I saw her not too long ago."

"Who are you? How do you know Ana-chan?" Her eyes were wide.

"I'm Misaki!" She laughed nervously, "I saw her walking alone and she seemed upset, so I asked her what was up. She was very off-putting."

"That sounds like her," Usagi muttered. "Do y-" She was prepared to ask where Misaki saw Illyana go, but was interrupted when Luna ran up and, seeing a stranger, scratched at Usagi's legs instead of speaking. "Um, I have to go," and she took off.

She was in the park, preparing herself for departure. "Ana-chan!" The voice was familiar and Illyana knew it all too well. She turned around quickly. "Ana-chan! Oh, I'm so sorry!" Usagi finally reached her, out of breath and hunched over.

"Thank you, Sailor Moon. But it is too late." She took a deep breath and turned around, "Sailor Teleport!" In a sudden flash of purple light, she was gone.

* * *

AN: If you caught the reference, you get an A+. Anyway, **feedback/reviews are forever appreciated** and I'm really happy that some of you have chosen to continue following this story. xoxo


	7. Chapter 6: Lost Senshi, Harsh Reality

Usagi fell onto her knees on the cold, hard ground. _She left. She actually left._ She began to cry, emitting her high-pitched screams and alerting Luna to her location.

"Usagi-chan!" Luna shouted, panting as she ran towards the crying girl. "Where is Ana-chan? Is she coming back?"

Usagi sobbed again, "She… she left me. She left us! Sh-sh-she said it was t-too late."

"Come on, we must tell the girls." Luna tugged on Usagi's shirt hem. "There's nothing else we can do here."

"She… she even thanked me, Luna." Usagi said, quieter now. "She thanked me for apologizing, and then said it was too late. I don't understand her." After taking a deep breath and calming herself, she pulled out her communication watch and reported the news, which seemed to shock the girls more than Luna had expected.

.

Andromeda awoke in a foreign land. She regretted immediately her decision to leave, not knowing where she was, nor nothing of the culture and people here. She slowly rose to her feet and looked around, trying to take in her surroundings. Her body wasn't human, since her soul took on the form of the ruling species of each planet. It was much smaller, much more animal-like. She reached up to feel her face and noticed that her hands were more of a paw-hoof hybrid, which only made her nerves worse. Her walk was awkward; whether or not it was due to her not being used to such a new body, Andromeda didn't know.

She began to search for anyone within the same species and, after about an hour, found someone – and seeing what she looked like based on another's body, she was a little anxious. The paw-hoof hybrid led to legs that appeared disjointed, like something out of an Earthling's horror film, and the torso looked too small to actually support the body's awkward shape. The face was a ghastly sight – the nose, so Andromeda assumed, was more of a small, round hole at the top of the head, and the eyes were placed on either side of a thin line that was clearly a mouth. The ears looked like those of a fox, only much larger, taking up nearly the entire top of the head. Even more terrifying, the skin was translucent and she could see the heart beating and the silver blood pumping through white veins. She had never seen such an abomination, although she tried not to think it as such.

Trying to quickly get over the shock of an unknown, shocking figure, Andromeda shook her head and sucked in a deep breath. Her soul did quite well when it came to adjusting to the languages that her new bodies spoke, so she mustered up the courage and ability to finally speak to the other being that had been staring at her while she studied it. A loud screech came out of her mouth, although she meant to ask where she was.

Andromeda took a step back, both in shock and fear. _Was that me? Oh God, I hope that was their language. Otherwise, they might believe I am dangerous. _

The thing screeched back, and Andromeda heard it clear as day, "This is the planet of Luminosia, of the Comet galaxy. You must be far from wherever it is you came from."

"I am. But can you tell me – do you have a protector senshi for the planet or this galaxy?" Andromeda was a bit concerned about the answer, but it was important to know.

"I will lead you to her." He turned and began to walk, and Andromeda wondered why he did not ask who she was or where she came from. His walk was awkward as well, which comforted her.

It felt like hours that they had been walking, and Andromeda was beginning to grow weary. _I have seen very few other beings. Is he leading me to her? Or into a trap?_ Finally, they stopped and he turned to her. "She's down here." There was a small hole in the ground, and Andromeda was unsure of if they'd actually fit into it, but soon discovered that their bodies are quite flexible.

They began to travel underground a bit and it opened up into a large metropolis-like area, and Andromeda realized that they lived primarily underground. The beings were everywhere, screeching was occurring all around her, and somehow did not result in a headache as it would on earth. She was led directly to the planet's senshi, who sat on a throne and appeared quite young.

"Who are you?" She screeched.

Andromeda bowed, "I am Sailor Andromeda, of the now-destroyed Andromeda galaxy. I have come here to ask for help in reviving my home."

"I am Sailor Luminosia. Havoc destroyed your galaxy, I'm assuming?"

"Yes." Andromeda was quieter, growing tired of having to relive the memory over and over again.

"I can't help you. I'm sorry, I can't understand how you must feel, but the only way to protect my home is by assuring that I don't stop Havoc's progress. No one can defeat it, so just give up and live peacefully elsewhere, Andromeda." Luminosia's voice was uncaring and stern.

Andromeda stood there in shock, staring at the floor with her eyes wide. _This cannot be!_ She thought, _How can she be so heartless? How can she refuse to help me?_ "No!" She said it as loud as her body would let her, "How dare you! How could you refuse the needs of a fellow senshi?"

"The senshi in this galaxy have sworn to protect our home by promising Havoc that we would not fight against it, and it in turn promised not to destroy us."

"You actually believed it?!" Andromeda had not even been this angry with the senshi of the Moon Kingdom. "You do not think that once it has destroyed the Milky Way, it will travel again through space and destroy everything in its path, including your galaxy, just because you did nothing to stop it!? You are as thick as the universe is large."

Luminosia stood up, angry. "How dare you insult the intelligence of our great galaxy and those who inhabit it? I will not stand for it. Guards, get rid of her. I don't want her here, or anywhere." Andromeda caught on quickly – they were to take her to her death.

.

"I think I've found something important," Ami said, breaking the silence in the Hikawa shrine. It was late afternoon on a Sunday.

The girls looked up from their homework and Makoto spoke up, "What is it, Ami-chan?"

"Havoc is not like Chaos was." She cleared her throat before continuing, "It's not trapped within someone's body – in other words, there is not a Galaxia behind it, fueling it and giving it life. It is its own being. It's not even seeking to rule over us. You guys," She looked up from her computer screen, fear, sadness, and shock simultaneously reflected on her face. "I think this is an extermination."

There was a shift in the air, and suddenly everyone was fearful. A takeover attempt they could deal with, and have many times before, but extermination? This was new territory, and they had no idea what to do.

Ami shook her head sadly, "I should've known, we should've known. It destroyed Andromeda's galaxy and forced her to watch. How could we think for a moment that all it wanted to do was try to take over the universe like all the enemies before?"

Rei chimed in, "We'll have to ask for help from the outer senshi. We couldn't defeat Chaos alone, so how are we meant to defeat Havoc? It probably doesn't have a conscience – not like Galaxia did – so appealing to emotion won't help us here." She looked at Usagi. "Sorry, Usagi-chan. I know it's your specialty." A small laugh escaped from a few of them, but silence took over again.

"We need to bring Illyana back," Minako whispered. "We need her, and she put all of us – even herself – in danger by leaving." She rose her voice a little, "She's dealt with this before, and she knows how Havoc operates. We need her to let us know what to expect. All we have to do now is find her!"

Luna finally spoke up, "I don't think you'll have to find her. I believe she'll come back, and you all must believe it as well."

The girls nodded in unison, showing that they understood.

After a few moments of silence, Usagi posed an important question. "What if when she left, Ana-chan got caught? Or worse, she ended up on a planet where they wouldn't help her, and that alone put her in danger? I'm scared. What if she never comes back? I don't think we can beat it alone. Not even with the Silver Crystal and all of the senshi together."

Realizing the gravity of this scenario, the air grew even thicker, and nervous glances were passed around before Ami finally stood up in protest. "No! Remember what Luna said – we must believe that she will return to us! And I do!" But even then, Ami's faith was already fading as well. _Please, Andromeda_. She pleaded in her mind. _Please return to us. We need you. We're sorry._ But Ami knew that begging never effectively solved anything.

* * *

AN: Do you ever try to draw yourself as a senshi, then you're like "holy shit, I can't draw"? Me, too. Anyway, I wrote the bulk of this chapter at 2 in the morning, so when I went to proofread it, I just thought to myself, "Oh god, this could be so bad." Not to mention, I have so many things I have to be creative about without overdoing it and I am hardly a decent enough writer for this! Ah well. **Reviews are always cherished**. Thanks for reading; I'm eternally appreciative of it! xoxo [This author's note was way too long. If you're at this point, congrats, you get imaginary cookies.]


	8. Chapter 7: Faithful Friendships

"Mamo-chan. I'm worried about Ana-chan." Usagi sighed, sitting down on the couch and pulling her knees to her chest. It had been almost a week since she left the Solar System, and none of them had heard anything yet.

The news was on in the background, reports of family and friends gone missing in masses were all that ever came on anymore. The air in the city had a distinct sadness to it.

"What strikes me as odd," Mamoru began as he sat down next to her, "Is that none of the outer senshi responded to her arrival. It's possible she got clearance before coming to us, but I figured at least Haruka would've come and let us know – she's always been the most protective over you." Usagi giggled. "They didn't even try to call, as far as I know."

"Well, they have been vacationing a lot since peace was brought back to the galaxy," Usagi replied. "But you're right, they usually call us, at least. Or write letters." She considered the thought for a minute, "What time do you think it is in England?"

"Well, it's 8 here, so about noon. Why?"

"I think I'm going to give them a call." She put her legs down and stood up, a little unsteady from the blood rushing back into her thighs and calves and feet. She walked to the phone on the wall and dialed the number Michiru gave them, written in the notepad on the counter right next to it.

It rang once, and a panicked Haruka answered. "Princess? What's wrong? Did something happen? Do we need to come back to Tokyo?"

Usagi laughed, "Haruka-san! Everything's fine. Mamo-chan and I were talking and we were wondering why you didn't call us after you cleared Sailor Andromeda to visit me."

"Oh, right. Well, she met Pluto while traveling through time and space, and they talked and Pluto cleared her and explained the situation to us. I figured there was no need to alert you. How are things going?"

"Um, you see, she got upset and left the galaxy, and we have to fight Havoc on our own, and we don't know how. We need her back, Haruka-san."

There was silence on the other line. Haruka stuttered out the words, "Havoc… Havoc is attacking Earth?" Her voice became quieter, more urgent, "How did we not know? How didn't we detect it?"

"You didn't know? Did Pluto not find any disturbances in time and space?" Usagi asked nervously.

"Usagi… We haven't heard from Pluto since she contacted us about Andromeda."

She froze, tears forming in her eyes, "You… don't think…"

"I don't know, Usagi. I didn't think anything of it until you called me." She sighed, "Michiru and I will cut our vacation short. We'll be on the next flight to Tokyo." Haruka hung up without saying goodbye.

Worried and scared, Usagi went to the couch and cuddled into Mamoru's side, "They haven't heard from Pluto in almost two weeks. They didn't know Havoc was on Earth." She began to cry as he put his arms around her, "I'm so scared, Mamo-chan."

"Usako…" Mamoru whispered. He wanted to comfort her, to remind her of all the battles before and how they had prospered each time, with her strength, hope, and love alone being the backbone of what got them through it all, but that was all he could muster as he held her tightly against him.

.

"Guards! Get rid of her! I don't want her here, or anywhere!"

The command rang out across the planet, and there were many beings rushing toward Andromeda at once. Finally, with one place in mind, she took a deep breath. _Sailor Teleport_! Her sudden departure caused the guards to crash into each other.

_What kind of Senshi needs guards? We are the guards._ She thought to herself as she travelled through space, thinking of Sailor Moon and how she is the Moon Princess and therefore the only one to ever truly need guards. _I'll go back. I just have one more stop to make._

After hours, Sailor Andromeda came to a stop in what could've been mistaken easily as an asteroid belt, if one didn't investigate it any further to see the rubble that extended for light years. The galaxy's ruins were a tough sight to see, and brought a hard reminder to Andromeda's forefront. "I have to keep fighting." She said to no one, turning around to face even more empty space, lit up only by the light of distant stars and galaxies. "I have to believe in Sailor Moon."

For what she'd hoped was the last time before she could return to her own galaxy, Sailor Andromeda shouted the familiar command. _Sailor Teleport_!

As she neared the area where she had met Sailor Pluto on her first trip through, Andromeda paused. In her place was a dark energy that Andromeda could sense. _Something happened here_. She thought. _Something happened to Pluto. I have to get back now._ She continued her journey back to earth, much more urgent this time.

She landed safely in the same spot that she departed from the previous week. It was still daytime, which shocked her and made her wonder if anyone had seen. It was the fearful screams that made her forget to be concerned.

.

Screams echoed throughout the Juuban Municipal High School football field, where there had been a game that evening. The girls transformed as they ran toward it, Mamoru staying behind to heed Andromeda's warning.

"_What do you mean I can't fight with them?"_

"_You are this planet's guardian. If something happens to you, Havoc will destroy it with ease. You must stay safe_." Her words had burned into his chest, it seems, and were reminiscent of how Galaxia overtook the earth.

As they arrived at the field, the senshi took in their surroundings. The scene was not unlike the others they'd encountered – bodies were strewn about and a monstrous Thing was attacking those that were still alive.

Sailor Moon abandoned her opening spiels about being a soldier of love and justice after their first battle with Havoc, realizing it was only leading to more deaths, so immediately, they began to try and protect the remaining survivors. Mars was the first to attack, aiming her Flame Sniper at what was presumed to be the Thing's head. It did nothing to deter it, instead only fueling the killing spree. Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury tried to attack it simultaneously, hoping to leave a mark, but it did nothing. Somehow still, it surprised everyone when Sailor Moon's attack did nothing more than slow the Thing down. Deaths of innocent human beings were occurring right before their eyes, and nothing they did changed anything. It didn't even turn around or acknowledge their arrival.

"Let's do a planet attack." Jupiter recommended.

Mercury began calculations on her computer, "Just a moment." After a few minutes, she closed it, "Its weakest spot is in its center. There's some kind of dark energy that can be thwarted if we connect our powers, like Jupiter suggested."

Putting all of their strength into it, they attacked. It stopped immediately, falling to the ground, and the remaining survivors ran away. But there was a moan, and a shift in the air, and it was back up again.

"What do we do?" Sailor Moon cried. They felt utterly and completely alone as ever, and didn't expect anything to mitigate it. Setsuna was missing and Haruka and Michiru hadn't been able to catch a flight until an hour before the It showed up.

"_Andromeda Star Flash_!"

It all happened quickly. The Thing lunged toward the girls when the words rang out, and in an instant it was reduced to a black shadow, which flew off as soon as it could. The same words that were heard before when Sailor Andromeda sent those people to the place only she knew of were being heard again, whispered in the same area where Andromeda's attack occurred from.

"Ana-chan!" Sailor Moon shouted after she finished, spotting her a short distance away. "I'm so happy you're back."

Andromeda detransformed. Smiling, she replied, "I'm sorry for not trusting you. I believe in you, Sailor Moon."

* * *

AN: This chapter took a long time for me to figure out how to go about it (usually, I write them over the course of the week between updates (hey, it's summer!), but this one I wrote in one night). My problem is that I really love the GoT TV series and have been trying to read the books (which, college burns you out on reading, so I read a bit at a time and am hardly halfway through the first book… I've got a lot of catching up to do). I also have scholarships I need to write essays for, but I'd rather write fanfic. I digress. I've been finding plot holes and trying to fill them, but it's a work in progress. Reviews appreciated forever, loves. xo


	9. Chapter 8: A New Power, a Missing Piece

"I need you to gather up all your power, everything you have in you, and say the words _Silver Moon Heart Flame._ Aim the attack at the tree."

"Flame? Fire is my thing," Mars muttered to herself, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sailor Moon readied herself and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes for just a moment before they shot open again, and a new Moon Tiare appeared before her. It was almost as tall as Saturn's or Pluto's, and it relieved her that she wouldn't have to carry it around all of the time like they did. She grabbed it from the air, aimed it at the tree, and repeated the words. A light beamed out from the center of the sequined silver moon that was fashioned on top of the pink staff and, within seconds, the tree buckled and crashed to the ground.

The staff disappeared and Sailor Moon was in shock. The inner senshi gasped in unison.

"She has another power?" Sailor Uranus inquired, having decided to join them in training for the day. They were in the mountains today, a place Rei chose.

"I realized it while I was teleporting back to earth," Andromeda replied. "I remember - during my research - learning that she had a new power for nearly every enemy. While this one was most unexpected, I knew something had to give."

"And the command itself?" Neptune asked.

"That is the thing." Andromeda considered her reply, "It just… it came to me. My mind went blank and suddenly, the words appeared in my head, and I knew. It sounds so outlandish, but that is what happened."

Uranus studied her, suspicious. "What did you tell Sailor Pluto when you met her?"

"Exactly what I told everyone when I finally made it to Japan. There is a new enemy coming for the sake of destroying the universe and had already destroyed my home."

Venus scratched her head, "You said the enemy is here to destroy the universe, I just don't get why! All our other enemies wanted to rule the universe. Not decimate it."

"I will explain later," Andromeda answered.

Jupiter leaned over to Mars, muttering, "Did Venus just use a big word?"

Laughing, she replied, "It's not _that _big of a word!"

Venus turned to them, her long blonde hair catching in the wind and flowing freely behind her, "Hey! I'm smarter than you guys think. 'When you know better, you're better than everyone!'"

"Actually, Sailor Venus, I think the quote is, 'When you know better you do better.'" Uranus corrected. Venus blushed.

Ami paused and took in the scene around her – all of her friends laughing. They had always been able to find a small light in the middle of a tunnel, even with death looming over them. But now, things were worst of all, and still they were here, laughing. A short peace. Finally, they detransformed and began their descent down the mountain, heading to the Crown Fruit Parlor.

It was silent the whole time. The small bit of laughter they shared was long gone, though it had only happened minutes ago. The silence between them was heavy with the weight of their missing soldier, and no one wanted to ask about what they already knew to be true: Havoc killed Pluto, and they didn't know if they could bring her back. Illyana dropped back from the group a bit; she still felt as though she didn't belong. They were the solar system's soldiers and she was an outsider, but it didn't bother her at all. She was here on a mission, and they were accommodating and willing enough to help, and that's what mattered. It's the only thing that mattered.

.

The parlor was relatively empty when they arrived, allowing the group some freedom to talk about their current mission. They all ordered a shake or a smoothie, save for Illyana, who decided to try a banana split, not knowing at all what it actually was.

"This is… interesting." She remarked, poking her spoon at the banana. "I just eat it? All together?"

Usagi laughed. "Ana-chan! I thought you were really smart and would know what it was by now!"

Illyana huffed, "I learn about culture and language! Not this… ice cream… with bananas and stuff!"

Everyone chuckled as Makoto explained to her how banana splits work.

When they had settled down, Illyana sat up in her seat, wiping whipped cream off of her lips. "Okay, about the enemy. It does not have a conscience. It is not a living thing, not necessarily - which Ami told me she found in her research. Good job, Ami." She had been trying her best to be more appreciative of their work. She took a deep breath and continued, "As a matter of fact, it was a fail-safe put in place by Galaxia if she could somehow not take power. If Chaos could not rule, no one could, so to speak."

"So, could Galaxia herself stop it? We can contact her! She can help, can't she?" Rei's voice was firm.

"Well," Illyana began. "Galaxia was not in control and unaware of the full abilities of Chaos as it acted inside of her. So, she may know about Havoc and may be trying to fight it herself or – and we do not know – she could have been one of the first victims. We can try to contact her to be sure the latter is not the case, but she may not be able to help us."

The small ray of hope they had in that moment burned out.

"I know the outcome seems bleak," Illyana continued, "but with Sailor Moon's new power and her already existing ability to stay strong in the face of adversity, there is no way we will be defeated. We can win; we just have to believe in ourselves and in Sailor Moon. Like all of your battles before."

The women exchanged smiles, hopeful again, and they all knew there was a chance. There always had been.

"I wish Setsuna-san were here," Usagi said after a moment. Her voice was thick. "I miss Hotaru-chan too, but she's okay at least."

"We're going to get Setsuna back." Haruka added. "I have no doubt." Her head dropped and she was clearly upset, which was uncommon for her.

"We will," Michiru whispered, squeezing Haruka's hand. "She'll be back with us in no time, okay? And we'll all be a family again - you, me, Setsuna, and Hotaru."

Illyana smiled sadly. _They now understand some of what I have been through. Setsuna is as important to them as my galaxy is to me. I will help them get her back. Even if it means my life._ She made this promise to herself with certainty, and prayed they would succeed.

But in that moment, she made another promise to herself. _But my galaxy must be saved first. That is why I am here, the only reason. And then I will help them._

* * *

A/N: Wow, okay, never expected this story to go this far! Also, I just got a job (yay), so it's been killing me and updating is slow-going, but I'm still here! **Reviews always appreciated :***


	10. Chapter 9: Air of Familiarity

The morning air was brisk as Illyana stepped onto the sidewalk. She took a deep breath and decided it was good enough weather for a walk. She came to a crosswalk not far from Makoto's apartment when a familiar voice sounded behind her.

"Hey! Illyana!" She turned around to see Misaki Tanaka running toward her. "Hi! How are you? How have you been?"

She was as forward as she had been during their first meeting. Illyana composed herself and replied, "I am okay, things have been all right. And yourself?"

"Fine, fine. I was a little worried about you, though. I ran into one of your friends after we met and she seemed really concerned." She casually crossed her arms. "But, you seem okay! Wanna go get some tea? My treat!"

This woman was eccentric, Illyana knew that enough. "Sure," she replied reluctantly.

They walked a few more blocks and came to a small café. It was set back a bit and in between two boutiques. They took a small table in the back and Illyana glanced over the menu as their waitress approached.

"Thanks for coming today." The woman sounded so insincere. " I'm Arisu and I'll be your waitress .What can I get you?"

Misaki ordered a green tea and as Illyana looked up to order, she made eye contact with the waitress. The small encounter sent shivers down her spine. _There is something so familiar about her_, she thought. _She is so pale and lifeless, it seems._ "I will… I will have a green tea as well." She said, setting the menu off to the side and mulling over what she just experienced.

Misaki obviously noticed the small breach of peace and leaned in. "Is something wrong," she inquired.

"I just feel like I know that woman," she replied, nonplussed.

"You probably saw her in passing or something," Misaki said nonchalantly, looking over the dessert menu and wondering if she wanted cake or not.

Still worried, Illyana was happy enough that she didn't try to push the issue and ask what she meant. _I have seen her before, _she thought. _Centuries ago, but I know I have seen her. _It worried Illyana, because centuries ago, she faced much horror in her galaxy and the only person that saved it was Sailor Owl, the Goddess of Chaotic Destruction. Ten times stronger than Sailor Saturn, Owl's power reached throughout the entire universe, and she was quite the force to be reckoned with. _That cannot be Sailor Owl. The situation is not that bad, not yet._

The waitress sat their tea down on the table and Misaki ordered a few chocolate chip cookies before she left. "Misaki?"

"Yeah?" The woman looked up from stirring her tea, to which she added a small bit of honey.

"Why do you always try to talk to me? Why do you care?" Illyana asked, the question bearing on her mind since they met.

"On one hand, you seem very interesting." She picked up her tea, obscuring half of her face with it, and blushed, "On the other, I find you to be quite beautiful and would like to get to know you better!"

An unknown feeling crossed Illyana's mind and stomach; she couldn't even tell if it was a good or bad one. She glanced down at her dark skin and wondered how someone who looks so different from those around them can be seen as beautiful. Pushing her thoughts and feelings aside, she smiled, "Thank you." She could feel the hair on the back of her neck become slick.

.

The girls were all sitting around a table at the Hikawa Shrine when Illyana walked in.

"Ana-chan!" Makoto jumped up. "You weren't at my apartment when I woke up. I've been so worried all day!"

The rest of them were a-chatter with agreement and expressions of worry.

"I am sorry," Illyana took a seat between Minako and Rei. "I ran into a friend I met before my departure and we went out for tea."

Usagi's eyes lit up, "Is it a _boy_?!"

The girls became excited at the prospect, but Illyana just rolled her eyes. "No, it is a woman. And she is very nice… and lovely."

"So, are you two like Haruka-san and Michiru-san?" Minako asked, giggling giddily.

"Who?" Illyana had not heard of them.

"Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus," Ami replied, taking a bite out of one of the brownies Makoto had made and set at the table center. "They're a couple."

Nervously, Illyana opened her mouth to deny any relationship status with Misaki before Luna ran in. "Girls! Transform and head to the Juuban Shopping District! Havoc is attacking!" Despite the poor news, Illyana was happy to delay discussion of the issue.

They transformed as they ran, and felt they couldn't get there quick enough. Fortunately, there wasn't too much damage by the time they arrived. The attacks began to fly and Sailor Moon prepared to use her new attack before the enemy threw one back at them – knocking all of them nearly unconscious. Andromeda sat up, cradling her head and shaking her way to her feet. She began to yell her attack before a shout came from behind a nearby building.

"Milky Way Missile!"

Andromeda was in shock as the soldier appeared from behind the building, smiling in her ability to decimate the current enemy.

Her shoulder-length neon pink hair was complimented by a fuku consisting of a light purple skirt, heels, gloves, and a choker as well as bows that were a soft yellow. Recognition was instant. "Sailor Sagittarius!" Andromeda stumbled toward her. "Why are you here?!"

"Andromeda." The new soldier's face became apologetic. "I am so sorry for abandoning you. Please forgive me."

"You are a traitor," Andromeda said behind clenched teeth, hiding the pain shooting through her head, "both to your galaxy and mine as well. You will leave if you know what is good for you." As she spoke, the other soldiers began to rise to their feet, breathing heavily because of the pain. "We are doing just fine without you."

"I saved you just now! I saved all of you!" Tears brimmed the soldier's eyes. "I am not weak anymore. Please believe me, Andromeda!"

"Leave!" The shout echoed throughout the city as Andromeda turned her back to Sagittarius and raised her hands towards the dead citizens, muttering the command she knew so well.

"You're sending them to _Salus_, aren't you?" Sagittarius asked, finally giving the other soldiers a name for the safe place only Andromeda knew of. They had all been watching the argument from the distance.

Shaking with frustration, Andromeda turned around to her. "I told you to leave," she repeated firmly.

A tear finally broke free from one of Sagittarius's eyes. Her head dropped and she turned, solemnly walking away.

Andromeda stared bitterly after her, angry tears trailing down her cheeks. Sailor Moon slowly came up behind her, patting her back. "It's okay, Andromeda. Come on, let's go back to Rei-chan's." She nodded, using her gloves to wipe the tears from her cheeks, and they made their way back.

* * *

A/N: So, I'm writing up some ideas on a couple of new characters and it is perhaps one of the most difficult things about writing, for me. I also have jotted down some ideas about these characters and am trying to actually plan this story so it'll stop being such a train wreck (hopefully). Reviews/feedback appreciated. xo


	11. Chapter 10: Dreadful Dreams

Soaked in sweat, Illyana quickly sat up in bed, breathing heavily. She didn't expect to get back to sleep tonight.

"_Sailor Owl is coming!" Sailor Virgo screamed, writhing on the ground in pain. They couldn't fight this enemy. They would never defeat it._

"_No," Andromeda cried. "It cannot be too late. There is no way it is too late. We must keep fighting." _

"_It's over, Andromeda." Sailor Juno squeaked, choking on the burning air._

_She collapsed. "No… no."_

_But then she came, a Thief in the Night - the Sailor of Abolition; ten times stronger than Sailor Saturn. Hailing from the Owl nebula, Sailor Owl was here to bring the end of the universe. She only came if there was no hope, if the universe was facing a danger no other soldier could destroy._

_Her words boomed out, echoing impossibly in the vacuum of space. "Sonic Star Termination!" _

_The pain was gone, as was the fear and horror. But it was not what Andromeda wanted. A new start would come soon, from the power of Queen Serenity of the Silver Moon kingdom and her Silver Crystal, but Andromeda wanted to be a hero. She always wanted to be the hero._

Illyana remembered every feature of Sailor Owl, from the black of her bodysuit to the deep brown of her skirt and the sharpness of her eyes. She was full of hatred and loathing, thought it was never unexpected of someone who must bring about the destruction of the universe. She feared the soldier, most did. Cursed to eternal solitude as a result of her cursed gift, Owl was an unwelcome guest in every occasion, even one so full of pain and loss.

She ran her fingers through her tangled hair and closed her eyes tightly, falling back onto the pillow. She hadn't realized she had fallen back asleep until Makoto came into her room, worriedly asking why she wasn't awake and why she wasn't helping make lunch.

"Lunch?" She muttered sleepily. "I slept through breakfast?" Her head felt heavy, pain pulsing behind her left eye. "I have a… what do you call it? I have a migraine."

Makoto lowered her voice, "I have a perfect tea remedy for that. I'll go make you some."

"Aspirin would be better," Illyana muttered, falling back onto her pillow. She had felt like this every time the memory of Sailor Owl taking everything from her appeared again, when she remembered the way her soul faded into a serene place. It was there, the place they called _Salus_ that she felt most alone. She harbored so much hatred for Owl, and so much for Sagittarius. _Harboring this anger is too unhealthy_, she thought to herself. _But I do not know how to forgive._

Makoto then entered her room again with a warm, odd-smelling tea blend. "Here, it's my own special mix. Works every time!"

Illyana scrunched her nose at its scent, "I asked for aspirin."

"Oh, Ana-chan. Just try it!" Makoto pressed. She gave the cup to Illyana and then got up to fetch aspirin. "Just in case," she mentioned.

Just before taking a sip of the elixir, Illyana remembered the words Misaki had said to her the day before, and she felt a wave of… _something_ run through her, dwelling in the depths of her stomach. She took a drink, cringing at how repugnant the tea tasted.

When Makoto returned, she had a small glass of water and two white pills. "That should work," she said cheerfully.

Swallowing the pills, Illyana looked at her. "Thank you. I have a question, Makoto. When someone says something really nice to you, how does it make you feel?"

The girl cocked her head to the side, "Whatdya mean?"

"Let us say that you think a boy is cute… and he calls you beautiful. How do you feel?" She could feel her face burning, the sudden blood rush causing her to equate it to the heat of the sun.

Makoto's eyes practically turned into hearts at the thought, "Oh, I just get a rush of adrenaline! You get this feeling in the pit of your stomach and you realize that you might like them and think they're beautiful, too!"

Illyana froze, "Oh."

Instinctfully, she moved closer. "You like someone, don't you, Illyana?" Her lips curled up tightly and she giggled.

"I do not know what it means to 'like' someone." She insisted.

"Oh, Ana-chan! Stop playing stupid! You're too smart to tell me you don't know a thing about love!" She hit Illyana's knee. "When you love, er-like someone, you feel invincible around them, like you're on top of the world. And you wanna spend all your time with them. But maybe you should ask Usagi-chan. She knows a lot more about love."

"No, that is all right. She would react ten times worse than you did and I do not want to have to mitigate the situation." She grinned, her migraine slowly beginning to fade away (miraculously).

"Yeah, she's a bit, um, out there." Makoto muttered, scratching her head. "I'm going to go finish lunch. We're meeting at Ami's in an hour if you're still up for going!" She exited the room mid-sentence.

"Of course I'm going," Illyana whispered to herself as she began to put her hair in a bun, "I'm the _expert_ here."

Stretching her arms over her head, Illyana swung her legs over the side of the bed, letting her blood pressure catch up and trying not to allow her migraine to come back. She could still feel a soreness behind her eye - uncomfortable but bearable.

After sitting at the edge of that bed for fifteen minutes before she finally rose to her feet and threw on a summer dress and a pair of flats, both of which belonged to Makoto. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she walked into the kitchen, stretching once again, exhausted.

"Is your migraine gone?" Makoto asked as she began to wrap up what she'd made for them.

"Yes, thank you. Are you ready to go?" She yawned.

"Yup! Hold this lunch bag, please!" Handing Illyana one of the bags, they made their way out of the apartment and to Ami's condo.

They were two blocks from her building when Illyana caught a familiar face in her peripheral vision. She stopped and turned to see Misaki on a bench, reading. "Misaki, hello!" She shouted, waving.

Noticing her friend, Misaki put down her book and jumped up, practically skipping to where they were on the sidewalk. "Hey, Illyana. How are you doing? You look gorgeous in that dress, by the way!"

Giggling, the anxious woman blushed, "Thank you. We are on our way to a friend's condominium. We even made lunch!" She held up the bag to show her. "Well, Makoto did."

Misaki looked behind her at the bench, as if she was making sure her book was still there. She turned back around, "Oh. Okay! Well, have fun. I'm going to go back to reading." She waved goodbye and made her way back to the bench.

Makoto moved closer to Illyana, "Ooooh! Ana-chan, she said you look _gorgeous. _But, I think she's upset that you didn't invite her."

Sighing, Illyana replied, "I cannot invite her to our meetings when we are speaking of the enemy." She lowered her voice further, "Though I wish she was not in the park. That is where most of the attacks happen, and I am convinced it is because the weather has been nice and there are always a lot of people there."

"What I don't get is why they're killing people when, really, Havoc could just destroy the world and get it over with." Makoto said casually as Ami's building came into view.

"Do not speak so nonchalantly of death and destruction," Illyana snapped, thinking of how she felt the same of the attack that occurred millennia ago. "It is about torture for enemies like this. They want to make it tough to fight for life, so they assure that no one will have the will to live once the real attacks begin. Do not be so uncaring for it."

Makoto opened her mouth to begin a retort when a loud blast erupted from the park. They began to run toward it when she finally said something, "I thought you had precognition powers! What the hell?"

"They have not been working lately," Illyana yelled back urgently. "Contact the girls on your communication watch!"

They transformed when they finally reached the park. Sailor Andromeda gave a nervous glance toward the bench Misaki was at, only to see the book on the ground, its pages folded against the grass. _No_. She ran faster, hoping she could save her before anything happened. "Andromeda Star Flash!" she shouted, her Galaxy Tiare pointed straight to the beast's heart, so stupidly exposed through its translucent skin.

But nothing happened. It stood straight up. Standing at over eight feet and now facing them, they saw everything. The veins and the beating heart and the twisted face, so evil that not even Satan himself could have made a more terrifying being. Its voice was high-pitched and thick when it laughed, "You cannot kill me. Havoc will never be defeated."

The girls appeared behind Jupiter and Andromeda, and they could hear Sailor Moon speak. "That's… that's Havoc." An evil laugh boomed from its throat again before it disappeared. In its place, a much smaller monster appeared, continuing the attacks.

"Sailor Moon, go!" Andromeda shouted, still looking around desperately for Misaki. The monster threw an attack at Sailor Moon, knocking her to the ground, unconscious.

As she rose her Galaxy Tiare again, Andromeda heard those words again.

"_Milky Way Missle!" _The monster crumbled and disappeared.

She snapped around to the soldier, who was smiling at her. "Andromeda, have I mentioned how beautiful you are in this world?"

"Is that not what you said when you met me in my home galaxy?" She rolled her eyes at Sagittarius.

"Yeah, but you look different here, so I had to tell you again!"

Ignoring her, Andromeda began to walk toward the bodies, still searching for Misaki as she murmured the words needed to send those people's souls to a safe place, to _Salus_. As lonely as it was and as much as she hated it, Andromeda knew that it was the only way they would be protected when the enemy was destroyed.

"Andromeda," Sagittarius was more serious now as she walked up behind her old friend, tears in her eyes. "You cannot understand how sorry I am. I was already wounded when Havoc attacked your galaxy. I didn't know how much more I could take."

"So rather than die for your friend, you saved yourself and allowed an entire galaxy to be destroyed, after you fled your own galaxy out of fear!" She was crying, too.

"That's not what happened, Andromeda, you know that."

"No." She looked at the soldier, "I do not."

She turned around and began walking toward the Inners, who were staring wide-eyed at her. She bent down and picked up Usagi, who had detransformed when she was knocked unconscious."Come on," she shook the tears from her eyes, "Let us take her to Mamoru's." They did not notice the dark soldier watching them from the top of a tree, waiting.

.

As Illyana laid the girl down on the couch, Mamoru rushed to her side and grabbed her hand. "I should be able to heal her with my powers," he said as he began to pick her up and sit under her. Mamoru held his betrothed in his arms, whispering words of encouragement to her.

"She's getting stronger!" Ami remarked excitedly, feeling her pulse.

Moments later, Usagi's eyes fluttered open. "Mamo-chan," she smiled sleepily, pressing into his chest, "you're so warm." He hugged her closer and kissed her forehead, everyone deciding to leave them alone.

In the other room, Rei confronted Illyana. "What's going on? What did Sagittarius do, exactly? Why are you so angry with her?"

Illyana dropped her head, always having feared the day she'd have to explain it in great detail. "Well…"

* * *

A/N: Ohhh my god, it took me way too long to write this chapter! I've just been working so much lately. ;( Reviews appreciated forever and always.


	12. Chapter 11: Subsiding Faith

"Well," she sighed before beginning, "Sagittarius was still healing from the fight with Galaxia when she came to me, despite the initial attack having been months before that. Then again, I believe it to have just been her ego that had the most damage at that point. Sagittarius is strong, but she is also an egotistical monster. So, like I told you before, she was still 'injured' when Galaxia attacked my galaxy. She was all I had left. Senshi from other parts of the universe came and tried to help us, but it did not stop anything. Sagittarius was the only one left untouched, because she had been hiding, but I still had hope that she would come through for me. She did not." A tear fell down her cheek. It was odd for the girls to see her feel something other than anger or contentment. Still, here she was, telling them her story; why she needs them as much as she does.

"Illyana, if you don't mind me asking," Ami said quietly. "But, why can't Mamoru-san fight with us?"

The air grew thick with sadness as Illyana met the eyes of each of the four young women standing before her. "Havoc would not even hesitate to kill him on sight. So long as Mamoru stays away, he shall remain alive, but we must also keep him protected. I have no doubt that Havoc has already begun looking for him. Because he is protector of the planet, his life means that this one will remain."

Rei shook her head, confused, "Hold on. If him being alive means the planet can't yet be destroyed, why didn't Havoc come straight for him, like Galaxia did? That doesn't make any sense!"

The woman's eyes grew intense and frustrated, they had a hint of sad bitterness buried deep somewhere in them, "Have you not seen all that has been committed thus far in the name of Death? The whole point of the mass murders is to instill fear; it is to bring Mamoru out of hiding to fight. Fortunately, since we are here, it has hindered much progress. As I said, I am sure a search will be underway soon if it is not already begun. I need one of you to contact Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune to assure that he will never be left alone."

Minako leaned over to Makoto, her voice a whisper, "I don't think Usagi-chan would ever let _that _happen." They both giggled, until Illyana snapped at them about this being serious and "not a laughing matter". A few 'sorry's and 'oops'es were said, but nothing else came of the comment.

"We have to start being on constant guard. We have to always be ready to fight and, as you have always known for your duty, to die." The mood grew sadder, the girls nodding in simultaneous understanding. "Now, we must relay this back to Usagi and Mamoru, but otherwise, what is important now is to get Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune here once again." They all nodded solemnly.

"I'll go contact Haruka and Michiru," Ami said.

"And I'll go tell Usagi and Mamoru what's up!" Rei added, leaving the room.

Makoto looked at Illyana, "I'm really sorry to hear about what Sagittarius did to you."

The woman just shrugged, "I think I am going to go on a walk. Contact me immediately if anything happens. I expect to know when… Haruka and Michiru?" She looked to Makoto and Minako for corrections, but the two just shook their heads to let her know her pronunciation was correct. "Okay, I expect to know when they will be coming. I will return soon, I hope not to be gone too long." She left the apartment without another word, but not before seeing Usagi clinging desperately to Mamoru, shock and fear on her face.

"They're going to try to kill Mamo-chan?" She started crying. "He keeps being taken away from me and it's not fair!"

"Usako," Mamoru said, "I'm fine. Haruka and Michiru are coming, so I won't be left alone, all right?"

"I know, I just… Mamo-chan!" It was clear she wouldn't stop crying any time soon. Rolling her eyes, Rei stood up from the recliner.

"Well, I'm going to talk to the girls and see what's up. Illyana went on a walk, apparently, so we're going to strategize while you… calm down." She walked out of the room, Usagi's wails following her.

.

Illyana was rounding a corner into a deserted alleyway when she transformed, awaiting a rendezvous. In a brief flash of pink and purple, Sailor Sagittarius was standing in front of her.

"You got my message," she smiled. It seemed as if the brightness of her outfit lit up the alley.

"What do you want? And make it quick, I have actual battles to win and a mission to accomplish," Andromeda snarled.

"I want to apologize. I don't really know how to make it better, but the least I can do is say sorry." Sagittarius sighed deeply and gave her old friend a half smile.

"What? You think a weak 'I am so sorry, please forgive me!' would suffice?" She was mocking Sagittarius; that much she could tell. "You are as weak as your apologies. You are not a good soldier, Sagittarius, and you and I are both very aware."

"You still don't understand," the other soldier said in a small voice, and made an effort to strengthen it. "But there are other important matters to discuss."

"Like what? Is your skirt dirty?" Andromeda mocked again, not up to being there for too much longer.

"Andromeda, I think Sailor Owl is on earth. I think she believes you'll fail in your efforts."

There was a shift in the air around them, and Andromeda could feel herself beginning to panic. "No. You are wrong! You have been wrong before, and I am sure you are wrong now. I will keep fighting and I will succeed. How dare you be so mistrusting of me, after all I have done and been through. I am finished with you, Sagittarius. Leave. I can protect your galaxy better than you ever could." Using her senshi powers, she jumped to the top of one of the buildings in order to detransform without being seen, and began to make her way back to Mamoru's apartment, worried that maybe Sagittarius was right. _Maybe it is over._

* * *

A/N: I can't believe it took me so long to even _think _about updating this. Ugh, work is killing me! Plus I go back to school in 3 weeks, but I plan to see this story out until the end! Reviews/follows/favorites are so loved that you can't even imagine xo


	13. Chapter 12: A Love-Hate Relationship

"Illyana, you seem down." Misaki told her, concerned. They were walking to the tea shop they'd gone to the other day. Misaki was wearing a gorgeous black, knee-length pleated skirt and a light purple shirt, both of which complimented her figure well. Illyana's response to her comment was only a shrug. Misaki sighed, deciding not to push the subject. The day had only begun, but it felt as if a cloud hung over the city. Nothing seemed to absolve the sinking feeling of defeat that existed at the back of everyone's minds. _Every cloud has a silver lining, _Illyana thought (or maybe "hoped" was a better way of putting it). She looked over, and noticed the way the steadily-rising sun hit Misaki's eyes, how it made them shine, and she smiled.

"I will be fine, Misaki. Thank you." The brightness she saw in the woman's eyes exhibited somewhat of an escape for Illyana, and it made her wonder if the feeling she had from realizing it was love, if it was everything Ami and Mamoru had told her. However, she wasn't quite sure if her soul would ever truly feel the love that earthlings experienced with one another; love is completely different at Home. _I will get as close as I can_. And she vowed to, taking the first step by taking Misaki's hand (which she picked up as a sign of affection from her studies about earthlings). Misaki didn't act surprised and she didn't gasp in shock; she dropped her head and her face turned red, squeezing Illyana's hand back. Illyana had never felt so wonderful, so refreshed, as when she was walking with a wonderful girl and holding her hand and smiling to herself.

It almost made her forget about Sagittarius's warning, almost made her lose sight of her goal for being on earth. Almost. The contact watch that Luna gave her began to ring. She lifted her free hand glanced at it. "Illyana? Are you there?" It was Makoto. "Illyana! There's been a disturbance at the orchestra event in the concert hall downtown. Come quickly!"

She let go of Misaki's hand. "Hey, I have to go meet up with my friends. There has been an emergency. Sorry!"

Illyana began to run away when Misaki yelled back, "Is everything okay?!" She didn't stop to answer, hoping she wouldn't follow her. Taking a back alley shortcut, she transformed into Sailor Andromeda and began to travel over the tops of buildings. She couldn't fly, but she sure could jump.

The inside of the concert hall was absolute calamity. Dead bodies littered the floor and more were showing up. The monster was unbelievably terrifying and unlike anything Andromeda had ever seen before. The soldiers were fighting back, but it barely made a dent in the chaos. She was more surprised that they were still alive. Moon was knocked out on the ground, a clear indication that there was no Heroine this time around. _"Andromeda Star Flash!" _She attacked the monster with all of the energy she could muster. It helped somewhat, it slowed it down enough for the other attacks to actually make any leeway in killing it.

"What happened to Moon!?" Andromeda shouted through the screams.

"The enemy attacked back once, and aimed it at her." Mars replied, hurling another attack. "She's been out cold for a good ten minutes! We haven't had time to revive her."

Surely their attacks were slowing down the number of civilians killed, and Moon would eventually wake up (they hoped). But their energy was dwindling and the monster still had plenty of kill power left in him. "Girls, we have got to try harder!"

Venus, power obviously dwindling quickly, yelled, "We are trying as hard as we possibly can, Andromeda! It's too strong!"

Jupiter took it upon herself to use the rest of her energy on an attack, finally causing the monster to fall, pausing the massacre. The problem was that Moon hadn't waken back up yet and they were running out of options. "What do we do?" Andromeda asked worriedly as the monster started to stir.

"I'll handle it." Sagittarius came out of the shadows. "Sorry I'm late, ladies." She started to yell out her attack when the monster threw a fatal attack at her. Long, thin and sharp wooden posts hit her stomach and, crying, the soldier fell over.

"No!" Andromeda shouted. Her stomach dropped and she was filled with enough adrenaline to finish it off. "_Andromeda Star Flash_!" It was enough to kill the thing. As it disappeared, she ran to Sagittarius's side and took her in her arms. "Sagittarius…"

The wounded soldier was bleeding and paling. "Andromeda, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said anything, I should've just killed it." She took a shaky breath, "My ego got the better of me again, didn't it?" Sagittarius smiled at Andromeda before passing out. That's when her dress turned to red ribbons and she lost her transformation, and a familiar outfit appeared.

_A black, knee-length pleated skirt and a light purple shirt? This doesn't make any sense…_ Andromeda's head was thrown into a fog. "Misaki?" Her hair maintained the light purple color (_must have worn a wig to be less noticeable_, Andromeda considered), but the resemblance was too close to deny. But she didn't have time to be angry about Misaki/Sagittarius lying to her, because she was dying in her arms and she had to save her.

"Wh-what happened? Did you guys kill the monster?" Sailor Moon sat up, cradling her head and looking too tired.

"Sailor Moon!" Andromeda screamed in desperation, "Help me!" Moon was instantly alert when she saw the blood, if only because of her terror upon seeing all of it. "Sailor Moon… please… just save her." Andromeda began to cry. She didn't really understand human emotions, but it felt like the best response to such an awful sight.

Sailor Moon immediately pulled her brooch from her chest and lifted it, "_Moon Crystal Power_!" Misaki's wounds disappeared, but not before Moon collapsed once again into Sailor Mercury's arms.

"Come on," Mercury said, "Let's go back to Mamoru's apartment! Andromeda, you know what to do." Misaki was beginning to stir, so Andromeda gently set her on the ground and stood up to send the dead to _Salus_. It struck her as amazing that, after everything, people would still leave their houses. Tokyo's government and population's lack of response to all that's been going on was odd. Andromeda hadn't even considered it before.

The bodies disappeared and, as Andromeda turned to join the rest of the soldiers, Misaki was there. "Illyana, I can explain."

Andromeda looked her up and down and shook her head angrily, "I do not want to speak to you or see you ever again."

"Illyana!" Misaki's voice echoed slightly in the concert hall, but Andromeda would not stop. It felt like the ultimate betrayal to her, as if forgiving Sagittarius wasn't hard enough already. Detransforming, Illyana walked out of the concert hall and disappeared into the downtown crowd, leaving Misaki to her guilt.

* * *

A/N: I have literally worked every single day this last week (I work mornings and I'm always so tired!), so if that makes you feel any better about how bad I've gotten at updating… Sorry it's pretty short this time. Anyway! Feedback so appreciated xoxo


	14. Chapter 13: Unknown Territory

The morning came and went. Makoto found Illyana in the same state she had been in the night before – head down, eyes sad, sitting on the edge of her bed. Illyana had not known this pain; she'd felt it before, but not _this _pain. It was a different kind of hurt, a different kind of sadness. Makoto called it "heartbreak." She really was falling for Misaki, in the way that an alien in a foreign body can fall for another – wholly and yet uncomfortably.

"It may hurt for a while, and time will feel like it drags on forever and never stops hurting, but it will. Be resilient, Ana-chan. Let yourself cry." Makoto spoke softly as she sat down next to Illyana on the bed.

"I do not know how to cry, Makoto," she replied. And she didn't, although she had heard from others that it made you feel much better, and that was one of the numerous reasons that Usagi did it so much. "I did not even know that my heart could break." She rested her head on her Earth friend's shoulder, content enough to have someone comforting her. Betrayal she was used to, heartbreak she wasn't. Her chest felt heavy and her body numb. "This feels pointless, Makoto. Why is heartbreak so halting? I have a mission to accomplish and this was not part of it.

Makoto frowned, "That's the thing about life. It has too many unplanned interferences."

"Have you been heartbroken before?"

Makoto's eyes glazed over, "Oh yes. My senior..."

Just then, Rei burst through the bedroom door. "Oh, don't get her started on the boyfriend who broke her heart. It isn't worth it, Ana-chan." Minako followed her, agreeing, and Rei continued. "Minako and I brought you some goodies. Cupcakes, mostly. Comfort sweets. I don't know if they do much for aliens, but I figured we could give it a shot."

Illyana looked up. "Comfort sweets?"

"Comfort food!" Minako shoved the covered glass pan into Illyana's hands. "You eat it and it makes your stomach feel weird and you feel lazy and so you feel better."

"This is so nice, everyone."She sighed, sitting it next to her. "I just feel so terrible. It is not as if Sagittarius has never betrayed me before. I believe she has done it enough to last for three lifetimes. The thing is, I was falling in love with the woman she was pretending to be. That is not fair." She moved her hands to cover her face and sighed, going quiet.

"Don't worry, Ana-chan!" Makoto stood up, "We'll make sure Misaki, Sagittarius, whatever! stays away from you."

Rei shrugged, "I'd send her back to her galaxy if she weren't already here..." Everyone chuckled, even Illyana.

Still sitting on the bed, Illyana sighed. "I cannot wait to complete this mission and go home. I have made wonderful friends here on Earth, but Andromeda is where I belong." She shut her eyes, images of her home planet and galaxy dancing behind her eyelids. _Soon, I promise_.

"Say," Minako cut in. "Why don't we go to the movies or something? Just the four of us!"

"That sounds nice," Illyana said before standing up. "By the way, where are Ami and Usagi?"

"Well," Rei considered, "I know Ami's out applying for an even better Cram School for the upcoming year. Usagi had another flare up with regards to Mamoru perpetually being in danger, so I guess they're on a date. Typical of the both of them."

Illyana shook her head, "As long as he stays away from target zones, he should be fine. Now, about that movie..."

Minako perked up, "There's a new drama out that I've been wanting to go see!"

"It doesn't happen to be about Sailor V does it?" Makoto rolled her eyes, already knowing the answer.

"I can't _not _support something featuring me, Mako-chan! It would almost be unholy," she giggled, hiding the fact that she had already seen in three times.

Rei pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated. "Fine. If Ana-chan wants to see it, we'll go. Okay?"

"I am up for it!" Illyana said, looking for anything to make herself feel better. "Can I bring my comfort sweets?"

Makoto laughed, "I'm sure we'll figure a way to sneak them in."

On the other side of the town, Usagi and Mamoru were walking hand-in-hand through the park. "Mamo-chan, are you scared?" Usagi's voice was small, as if she were a child.

"Me? Scared? Nah." He feigned braveness, mostly for her but for himself as well, only they both knew the truth. The enemy at hand was the most dangerous, the most fatal.

"I am," her voice broke as she dropped her head and squeezed his hand. "I don't wanna lose everyone again. I don't think I could take it. The thought of you dying again..." She turned her head away, tears falling as she tried to calm down.

Fortunately, the crowd in the park was sparse (the remaining citizens didn't leave their homes too much anymore, for obvious reasons) and Mamoru was able to quickly find an open bench, pulling her along as she took deep breaths to combat the rising sobs.

"Usagi," he put his hands on her shoulders and began to try and soothe her. "It's all right, it's all right. Remember, take everything one step at a time. Your friends love you and they're here for you. I love you and I'm here for you, okay?"

She wiped her eyes, "But how long will that last? How long can this go on for? We know next to nothing. I thought we were done with this. I thought it was over. I have seen my friends die too many times." He took his hands off of her shoulders and took her in his arms. Mamoru had never been one for being so close in public, but this was much more than the lovey-dovey behavior Usagi usually exhibited. This was fear and it was mounting within her.

"They came back every time, though, didn't they? Your heart has always been big enough. You've succeeded every time, and you'll do it again." She sobbed into the crook of his neck, the doubt in her mind still rising but its progress slowed by his words.

After a few minutes, she pulled away, sucking in a breath, "You really think I can do it?"

He smiled, "Think? I know, Usako. I've known every time."

Amidst the tears, a small, hopeful grin played at the corner of her lips as she threw her arms around him, "Thank you, Mamo-chan."

"I love you, Usako," he whispered, giving her a peck on the cheek. "Let's get out of the park before something happens."

They stood up from the bench and began walking again, his arm around her this time – it kept her more comfortable. She was the Moon Princess, owner of the notorious Silver Crystal, and the ultimate protector of their solar system, and yet she never felt safest than the times she was in the arms of her only love. Nothing has ever topped that feeling for her, and she made a promise to herself in that moment to never, ever let Death touch him, so long as she could help it.

_._

"Four for the Sailor V movie, please!" Minako said, her voice cheery and excited. She paid the 200 yen, covering the cost for everyone, and they walked into the theatre. "Oh, I can't wait!"

"Anyone want any popcorn or candy?" Rei asked as they walked by the concession counter.

"I think I am good," Illyana giggled quietly, holding up the bag Makoto gave her to put the cupcakes and goodies in.

"I'll share with Illyana!" Minako laughed.

"Well, I want a soda." Makoto said, walking to the counter and ordering the largest one, expecting the girls to want some, too.

The movie was Okay, for all intents and purposes. But Illyana seemed to really like it. Her eyes were practically glued to the screen, putting a cupcake or homemade candy in her mouth or stealing a drink from Makoto's drink every now and then, but remaining focused on it nonetheless. About halfway through, Minako got up and left to use the bathroom, leaving her things behind. But by the end of the film, she hadn't returned.

As the small crowd in the theatre began to rise and the lights went up, Makoto looked around, concerned. "Has anyone seen Minako? She went to the bathroom an hour ago and never came back..."

Worried, they ran out of the screening room and looked frantically around. They checked the bathrooms, the area outside, and other theaters. It was the familiar shade of blonde that Rei caught in the corner of her eye that lead her to Minako, who was playing a game in the arcade. "Hey! Where have you been? I thought you wanted to see this movie?"

Minako was very focused on the game, as if she were in a trance. "Oh, I got distracted." She wasn't as cheerful as she had been earlier, and Rei was receiving strange vibes from her.

"Minako-chan... did something happen?" She touched her friend's back, only to have it feel as though she stuck her hand into a fire. "What's going on? Are you all right?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Minako laughed, waving it off. "Come on, let's go."

But something about her made Illyana uncomfortable, too. She just couldn't quite put her finger on it.

* * *

A/N: Between school starting back up and realizing that I am _much _better at one-shots, I almost gave up on this story. But I just couldn't do that. Unfortunately, this chapter is mostly filler. Mostly. Reviews and favorites and whatever appreciated c:


	15. Ch 14: L'Amour et la Beauté Est Morte

"I would keep an eye on Minako if I were you, Usagi. I have been getting bad vibes from her lately." It had been two days since they'd gone to the movies, but Illyana was starting to pick up on the things Rei was concerned about – Minako was acting strange. She was almost a different person. "I know she is your friend, but you must be careful."

"Has something happened to her?" Luna jumped up on the coffee table in Usagi's front room, her parents and brother out for the day. Artemis joined her.

"It is bad, Luna. I think something may have happened, but I cannot figure out what yet. Rei has been working on it, but I do not believe there has been anything conclusive." Illyana pinched the bridge of her nose, frustrated.

"Does it have to do with Havoc?" Artemis pressed. Usagi's eyes widened and fear showed on her face, as it had done so much in the last few weeks. "She's been a bit off lately, as far as I've noticed... Doesn't really sleep at night, either."

"Most certainly." Illyana sat back into the chair and stared at the ceiling. "We just do not know what they have done to her, and that is the biggest problem here.

Usagi became upset immediately, "Minako-chan... No, have you tried to talk to her? Do the girls know? We have to save her!"

Illyana shook her head sadly, "It is not that easy, Usagi. She may have been corrupted, and we cannot let her know that we are suspicious. And yes, the other girls do know. Rei sensed it first." She looked up at the two of them, the young blonde girl and her black, talking cat. "I have neglected to tell you guys that, for the most part, my precognition abilities are back. I think. I knew this conversation was coming, and it was on more than a hunch. I knew your parents and brother would be out and that we would have a way to speak of these things. I think that is a very good thing thus far. Hopefully they continue to grow stronger. That being said, I do not see anything currently dangerous about Minako's situation, and it has been a week since we have heard anything direct from Havoc, so we should be good for a picnic today. It is so beautiful out. We should all go. Mamoru, too. I think we all deserve it." Illyana gave a small smile to Usagi, who gave a breath of relief.

"Luna, do you and Artemis want to join us?" Usagi asked.

"Nah," Luna yawned, "I think we're both going to take a nice, long cat nap. You girls be safe, though. Call for us on your communication watches if you need anything." Artemis, who was standing beside her, agreed.

.

They all convened inside of Mamoru's apartment not an hour later, and it felt a lot like the first time Illyana confronted them as Sailor Andromeda. Everyone was together, and they were all dressed nicely, and ready for a break from all the worry. Minako was the outlier, though, standing in the back of the group and looking stoic. "Should we go?" Mamoru's voice asked, glad to be able to spend time with them all in a comfortable environment. They started to walk towards the door when he continued, "Are you sure it's safe for me, especially, to be outside?"

Illyana shrugged, "It should be fine, Mamoru. I have been keeping tabs on day-to-day occurrences and have found nothing to worry about for today!" With the weight of worry off his shoulders, Mamoru locked the apartment and reached for Usagi's waiting hand, and the seven of them headed toward the park.

They were very chatty during the walk. Makoto, who had made all of the food for the occasion, walked with a basket in hand and was rattling away to Rei about how she was finally able to put to use some recipes that had been passed down to her, and how she hoped so much that everyone enjoyed it – and they would. Rei, carrying a small cooler with drinks and ice in it, replied with only encouragements, making an occasional stab at Usagi and how she'd eat everything if given the chance, anyway.

"I heard that!" She shouted from the back of the group, trailed only by Minako, walking slowly with her head down.

Ami and Illyana were chatting about intel and how happy the both of them were to not have to worry about anything for that day. "It makes it a lot easier," Ami noted, "Knowing we'll probably be fine out here. And if anything happens, well, we _are _the sailor senshi."

Mamoru and Usagi were still walking hand-in-hand and, with Minako behind them, Mamoru opted to whisper his worry. "Minako really doesn't look too good back there, huh?"

Usagi shook her head, reaching up with her other hand to grab his arm, and rested her temple against his shoulder as they walked. "I'm so worried, Mamo-chan. But there isn't anything I can do about it." She wanted not to cry. It was supposed to be a great day for them! Really! But, again, Usagi always found herself worrying more about her friends over everything. Even food. Usually.

"Come on, Usako. I hear Makoto has made some delightful sandwiches and snacks for this, I have no doubt it'll get your mind off things." He winked at her and then turned around to address Minako. "Hey, aren't you thrilled for this? It's such a nice day out!"

Minako looked up and her eyes almost looked devoid of all life. It sent a chill down Mamoru's spine and Usagi gasped and had to look away, holding tighter to Mamoru's arm. The girl gave a clearly faked smile, "I cannot wait." There was something odd about the way she said it, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

They reached the park and went immediately to the large, open field, and settled on the hill there. Ami spread out a large blanket she had brought over the grass and they all sat in a circle as napkins and cups were passed around. Minako sat just outside the circle, rejecting anything they tried to hand to her.

"Aren't you hungry?" Ami asked, sitting closest to Minako. She slowly lifted her head and began to laugh manically. Her eyes were almost completely black. Illyana stood up anxiously, getting into a defensive position, Rei began to chant, Makoto gasped, Ami screamed, and Usagi cried into Mamoru's shoulder as he stared on, shocked.

"Akuryo Taisan!" Rei shouted, throwing the blessing at Minako's forehead (it was always amazing how she had had those blessings with her no matter what). Makoto ran to Minako's side as she stopped laughing and her eyes went normal again, only this time they were lifeless. Her body fell back into Makoto's arms and complete terror filled the group. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Minako's mouth fell open and a black smoke began to billow out. Ami, trying to stay calm and collected, pulled out her handheld computer and began typing desperately, analyzing the smoke, when it took a form.

The thing had white hair, blue skin and white eyes, reminiscent of an alien out of a low-budget SciFi film. Its arms and legs were long, its fingers boney, and its face twisted into a laughing snarl. "Itami!" It shouted, snickering. "I cannot wait to kill all of you, just like I did your pathetic friend here. Itami!"

Illyana, shaking and nervous, stood up straighter and turned to the group. "Mamoru, run!" He ran to find a safe place as they all began to transform. Except Usagi.

On her hands and knees, she was crying over the grass, as if she hadn't even noticed the events that occurred after Minako collapsed. She was screaming her friend's name and shaking with sobs. Mars, having transformed, walked over to her and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, smacking her across the face. "Usagi! We do not have time for this. Transform. Now." Sailor Mars took an uneven breath, a tear falling down her cheek, "We need to save Minako-chan."

Usagi finally came back into awareness and looked around. Minako was lying against a tree, where Makoto put her before she transformed. Sailor Mercury, hiding behind another tree at this point, was trying to calculate its weak spot. Andromeda, taking the brunt of most of the attacks, was on her hands and knees trying to regain her strength. Jupiter was throwing an attack whenever possible, but was also trying to escape Itami's wrath. Usagi rose to her feet slowly and grabbed her compact from her pocket, "Okay." Mars turned back, trying to give the fighting soldiers a break. Usagi sucked in a breath. "For Minako-chan," and transformed.

Looking to the side to see her best friend's limp body against a tree, Sailor Moon focused on the enemy at hand and, angrily, gathered up as much power as she could within her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then, they shot open. "_Silver Moon Heart Flame_!" She pointed the Moon Scepter at the monster and released the attack, all but obliterating it. Exhausted and weak from all of the power she expelled, she fell. But at least she was able to defeat it. Everyone ran over, Mamoru coming out from behind a group of bushes, and tried to keep her from collapsing. "Minako-chan..." was all she could say before detransforming, passing out and falling over, Mamoru catching her.

Everyone else detransformed as Sailor Andromeda sent Minako's body and, hopefully, soul to Salus. "Will it work? When all this is over, will we be able to bring Minako-chan back?" Rei was in tears, clinging onto Illyana's arm after she detransformed.

Illyana looked down, "I do not know. Usually, the soul leaves the body immediately after death. It is plausible that Minako was dead when Itami first invaded her body. We can only hope that her soul was still attached today and will be all right."

The news was bleak. "How will we tell her parents?" Ami asked in a soft, sad voice.

"I'll do it," Usagi choked out, tearfully. She had woken up just in time to hear Illyana tell them the news.

Rei looked down, "I knew her parents best. I can do it."

"I'll go with you." Usagi was still weak. Mamoru was trying to heal her, but she had used so much energy during the battle.

Makoto had her face in her hands. She wasn't crying, but it was only because she was in shock. Minako always seemed so strong, so invincible, and yet... "I shouldn't have let her leave the theatre alone that day. I should've gone with her!"

Illyana walked towards her. She put a hand on Makoto's shoulder and began to speak, her voice firm, "You are not to ever blame this on yourself again, do you hear me? Havoc works in ways you cannot imagine. It is too stealthy. You never would have known, even if you were there every step of the way. Do you hear me?" She knew this first-hand. It had happened to her people, her entire galaxy. And she could not forget that.

Makoto nodded slowly, and that's when the tears began to flow.

"This is your fault," Usagi said shakily. She began to stand up, having been on the ground with Mamoru next to her, trying to heal her. "Illyana. You said it would be fine. You said we would be fine." She walked up to Illyana and got in her face, "You did this!"

"Usagi-chan," Rei sighed, defeated, "It's no one's fault but Havoc's. Please don't blame Ana-chan."

"No, she said we just had to watch her. She didn't say this would happen." Usagi sank to her knees and Illyana joined her, wrapping her arms around the broken girl.

"I am so sorry, everyone. I thought my precognition skills were good enough. I should not have trusted them..." She realized now the possibility of Havoc liberally controlling her ability. She never thought it was possible, or never considered it at least, but now it seemed to all make sense. "Havoc did do this... It wanted to get us all together." She let go of Usagi and stood up, putting her hand over her mouth. _No. I cannot believe I fell for that. We were lucky enough that there was only one casualty..._

They were able to, eventually, pull themselves together enough to collect all of their things and walk home. They would split off in their respective directions as they got to them. The walk was silent, except the one point when Mamoru offered to drive Usagi and Rei to Minako's parents' house. They nodded in response.

They finally reached Mamoru's apartment complex, where his car sat in the parking lot. They climbed in, still without a word, and made their way there, all the while Rei was racking her brains for a suitable explanation, and she and Usagi tried to compose themselves. As they arrived, the sun was beginning to set.

"Go on," Mamoru encouraged quietly, "It'll be alright." The last part was a lie, but he had to say something to them.

He watched them walk to the door. Rei grabbed Usagi's arm for support as Usagi raised her other hand to knock.

Minako's mother was such a cheerful woman. Her hair was just as blonde as Minako's and her eyes just as blue. "Usagi-chan! Rei-chan! What's up? Mina's not here, although I thought she was out with you guys? Anyway, yeah, sorry you came all the way here!" Her voice was light and airy, and she considered the fact that her daughter was _supposed _to be with her friends today.

Rei's lip was quivering. _How can we lie to her? She isn't even expecting it._ "Aino-san... um... we."

Usagi took over, Rei was about to break down and she wanted them all to stay calm. "We haven't seen her all day! She probably met a boy or something," Usagi forced a laugh then, "We figured she would've met us at the park, but she never came."

Mrs. Aino's demeanor completely changed. She went from being her daughter's friend to being her mother, and she took a few steps back. "Mina... you haven't seen my Mina? She would never run off with a boy or change her plans without telling me first..." She began to weep, muttering under her breath about how she didn't know where else her daughter could be, before clearing her throat, "You two should go home before your parents start to worry."

"We'll let you know if we hear anything," Rei said sadly, and they turned to walk back to Mamoru's car. Minako's mother shut the door and they could hear her wails and a man's voice asking what was going on The two assumed it was her father.

They were both shaking and crying again when they finally got back in the car. Mamoru dropped Rei off at the shrine and didn't bother with salutations. She was too broken to process much at this point. The drive to Usagi's house was silent as well, pierced only by her quiet sniffling and occasional sobs.

"Usako." He said softly as they neared her house, "If it would help, you can stay at my place for the night. That way your parents won't wonder why you're so upset and pound you with questions."

She wiped her nose and cheeks with her sleeve and looked at him, "Are you sure it's okay?"

He stopped the car a block from her house, "I'm sure." He took a handkerchief out of his console and mopped up her tears and cleaned up her makeup a bit. "There. Tell them Rei put pepper up your nose or something, to explain the red eyes, and please put on a happy face. Just for a few minutes while you tell them you're staying at Min- Makoto's apartment and long enough to get some clothes together, okay?"

She nodded and pressed her fingertips against her eyelids, begging for the tears to stop, just for a minute. "You can do it, Usako," were his words of encouragement. She slowly pushed the door open and walked the short distance to her front door, and put her typical exterior on display.

"Mama! Is it okay if I stay with Min-," She almost lost her composure, "Mako-chan tonight? We were gonna make some gourmet lunches for another picnic tomorrow. Can I? Can I?" Her eyes were bright (somehow they hadn't noticed the redness) and she put out an air of excitement.

Ikuko sighed, "Sure, Usagi. Just please make sure to stay safe, alright? I know it's been a while since there was an attack, and the government claims that everything should be fine, but you can never be too sure."

"Of course! Mako-chan is waiting outside! She didn't wanna come in and slow the process down. She'll protect me! I'm gonna go get some clothes!"

Ikuko grinned at her daughter as she ran to her room and then, suspicious, turned to open the curtain. There wasn't anyone outside. She shook her head, making excuses for her daughter to herself, and then went back to watching the news. Nothing catastrophic happened today. They should be fine...

After a few moments, Usagi bolted out of her room, "Bye, mama!" Something about her had changed since their last conversation only minutes ago. _Was she crying_?

.

After they got back to Mamoru's apartment, Usagi changed and went straight to bed. She was already crying, almost screaming at this point, when Mamoru joined her not five minutes later. He scooped his girlfriend up in his arms and held her. It was not the first time she had watched one of her closest friends die, but it didn't make it any better. This time, she wasn't in the middle of a battle. She didn't have to pull herself together, for once. She was allowed to feel, she was allowed to hurt. And it hurt so bad. Her throat ached and her eyes were sore by the time she fell asleep, around two that morning.

And this was only the beginning of the attack against the soldiers, at least in Havoc's eyes.

* * *

A/N: I hope I didn't mess up the French on the title. I may be studying it, but I'm not a pro just yet! Regardless, this idea came to me almost immediately after finishing the last chapter. I am actually shocked that I put it together so quickly (and I really hope it isn't bad .~. but I don't have high hopes on that end). Reviews not necessary but majorly appreciated!


	16. Chapter 15: Puzzle Pieces

Mamoru took a sip of his tea as the sun crept up from the horizon, "I was going to propose to her when I thought that we were really out of danger. We were betrothed before this life even began, but Usagi wants to get married as soon as she graduates." He sighed, "And then you came along."

Illyana had stopped by early that morning to check on how things were, after concocting a really good story for Usagi's parents as to why she wasn't at Makoto's at the time. She gave a small giggle, "You make it sound as if I were the 'other woman'!" Clearly, she had been watching too many of Makoto's soap operas.

Mamoru, however, nearly choked on his tea. "Interesting. You know, Usagi is always so weary of me around other women if they're not her friends or she doesn't know them, but I would never even consider leaving her. I think we'd be together even if we weren't destined, I guess you'd call it. I can't even see myself with anyone else." He then poured another cup of tea into a different glass, "Speaking of, I'm going to wake her up."

Mamoru poked his head into the room; Usagi was still sound asleep. He walked over to the side of the bed furthest from the door and knelt down. "Usako. Usako, wake up."

Usagi peeked through her eyelids before yawning. "My head is killing me." Probably from all of the crying. Mamoru quickly opened the bedside table and pulled out a few aspirin.

"Here, take these with your tea."

She sat up slowly, cradling her head. "Thank you, Mamo-chan." She took the pills and laid back down, turning away from him. Those moments before everything hit her were always so quiet and peaceful, but all good things have a habit of coming to an end. He could barely hear her small voice when she asked him, "She's really gone, isn't she?"

With a sigh, Mamoru put his hand on her waist, "Usako, please don't disappear on us. We need you now more than ever."

"I just want to be done fighting...," she was crying again, which didn't do anything to help her headache. "I hate being relied on. Why am I always the hero? They always take you away. They take my friends away. My parents and idiot brother don't even know, and I am always left alone. It's not fair. It's not. I don't want to be alone anymore."

Illyana appeared in the doorway, to Usagi's surprise. "You are not alone this time, Usagi."

"How do I know you won't die, too, Ana-chan?" She asked softly, tears in her voice. Illyana shuffled over to the bed, opposite Mamoru, and knelt down to rest her elbows on the mattress.

"I watch over an entire galaxy, Usagi. I am very strong. It takes a lot to get to me." She winked at the girl lying there on the bed, trying to lighten the mood. Nothing could be done about the loss they faced only the day before, but anything could help at least.

Across town, a thick cloud hung over Ami's heart as she stared out into the rainy sky. The news had been on all day, and Minako's name and photo was just another amongst the sea of Missing Persons reports, especially since Havoc began to attack. There was hardly even a police force left due to all of the casualties that they haven't been able to stop. That was likely the worst part of it all – they couldn't stop it. The most they could do was mitigate the situation and send their souls to Salus, if that would even work in the end. Ami and Minako had never really been that close, but they were soldiers fighting for the same cause and they spent a lot of time together with their other friends. It was too much.

As a single tear rolled down her cheek, Ami's mind went to her computer, which Luna had connected to the Moon's information network back when they first met. "No one else will die." She turned on her heel and went to her computer to begin researching immediately, determined.

A few blocks away, at Makoto's apartment, she and Rei were coping together. "I can't believe she's gone," Mako said, trying to make sense of the events from the previous day.

"I still feel her energy," Rei whispered, staring at the floor. "Illyana told us that, as long as her soul was still in tact, she would be revived with everyone else." She put her head in her hands, "I don't know what I'll do if all of these people come back to life and, when the crowd clears, she isn't standing there."

Makoto, feeling every bit of pain they were all feeling, spoke again. "I wonder if Luna found Artemis. We haven't heard from him since before the park yesterday." She put her hand on her cheek, "He's probably a mess."

Luna, on the other hand, was frantic. She searched high and low for Artemis, even going so far as to stop by the Animal Kingdom. However, he was nowhere to be found. That is, until she had an idea. There was only one real explanation, and it involved a lot of travel. "Dammit, Artemis," she cursed.

* * *

Ami found something, too, not much later, and she needed to tell everyone as soon as possible. "Come over to my place now. I've found something," she told them, staring into her communication watch, broadcasting to everyone.

They all sprang into action. Usagi got out of bed and changed into the outfit she brought and brushed her hair, Illyana helped clean up while Mamoru got dressed, Makoto and Rei left for her place as soon as the transmission ended, and Luna continued pursuing Artemis's trail, which would render her unable to go. But she didn't tell them that. They'd find out in time.

"Do you think it's safe?" Mamoru asked Illyana as he reached for the door handle, Usagi in tow.

"If we can take your car, we should be fine..." Truly though, she didn't know. "I do not think Havoc has picked up your energy yet."

Mamoru came to a full stop, dropping his hand, "Don't you think Havoc is a little smarter than that? All this time, and still nothing? Are you sure?"

Illyana just shrugged, feeling useless without her precognition abilities. "I am sorry."

"I'll grab my keys." He walked away from the door and toward his car keys, lying on the counter, when Usagi stopped him with a tug on his shirt.

"I don't want to risk losing you, Mamo-chan," she said sadly. "We'll tell you everything when we get back, okay?"

He studied her for a moment and hoped that the information wouldn't be dire enough for her to leave to finish off their mission before she got to see him again. But these sorts of things are unpredictable. As a parting gesture, he pulled her into him by her waist. "Be safe, Usako. I love you." He took a deep breath to inhale her scent before pulling away and giving her a quick kiss.

Usagi, smiling, grabbed his face, "I love you, too, Mamo-chan," and returned his kiss with a more passionate one. Illyana, both slightly uncomfortable with earthly signs of affection and out of politeness, turned away.

After a moment, Usagi was pulling the door open, "Let's go see what Ami-chan has for us!" And they left, Mamoru locking the door behind them and praying for their safety.

In the park, Luna found a secluded spot. _Here goes nothing_. "Mau Planet Power, transport!" She felt the familiar sensation of being sucked up into the sky, and when she opened her eyes she was on the moon. "He has to be around here somewhere..." She began to run, looking for the ruins of the Moon Kingdom and especially Queen Serenity's prayer room, where Artemis would undoubtedly be.

She saw his white fur and tail in the air before seeing the figure behind him. "Queen Serenity?" How was she there? It's not likely possible that she had other transmissions for the future, is it? Inquisitively, Luna approached them. "Artemis? Queen Serenity?"

Artemis turned around, a quiet smile adorned his face. "Luna. You found me."

"Hello, Luna," Queen Serenity's hologram greeted. "Artemis came to me about a new enemy on earth. One I had forgotten about until he mentioned it. I feel you should know about it as well."

Back on Earth, everyone convened at Ami's condo. She turned away from her computer and looked at all of them, an intense look on her face, "I've found something regarding Havoc. It's quite unexpected, but the information is vital for our mission."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Yeah, yeah, I know. This one is short (especially compared to the last chapter) _and _it has a cliffhanger. I need to utilize them more. I loved them so much during my younger writing days. Methinks this story is going to end here in a few chapters. Might be premature, and shorter than most multi-chapter stories, but I just feel like writing more would ruin it. Probably my fault for not doing much planning... meh. Reviews are not required but very much appreciated. :)


	17. Chapter 16: An Unwelcome Visitor

"What is it, Queen Serenity?" Luna asked, eyes wide with wonder.

"So, Ami, what have you got for us?" Illyana stepped towards the young, blue-haired girl.

"Okay," Queen Serenity began.

"Well," Ami breathed.

"I believe that I may have forgotten about when my mother ruled the Moon Kingdom. Serene, the Greek goddess of myth, I'm sure you know of the story?" The hologram of the Queen sighed before she continued, "I believe Havoc is a monster from her time. It terrorized the solar system, and planned to move on after completely decimating it, but Serene was able to put a stop to it before succumbing to death for using the Silver Crystal. She sealed the monster away, and I feel that it is possible that, when Sailor Moon destroyed Chaos, it broke the seal of Havoc's chains."

"I was doing research, and I think I may have found something about Havoc. It was a monster from long, long ago." Ami continued.

"Monster? Isn't that a bit of an understatement?" Rei interjected, but Ami ignored the comment.

"When it first originated, it started out in our Solar System. Now, Queen Serene, of Greek Mythology was ruling the Moon Kingdom at the time and was able to seal Havoc away, causing her death via usage of the Silver Crystal. And, I think, when Usagi-chan destroyed Chaos, it somehow broke the seal."

Luna looked at the Queen, confusion painted across her face. "An ancient enemy? That explains why it's so advanced."

The Queen nodded, solemn. "Well, I believe my energy is all but used up. I must go now. Take care of my daughter and her friends, Luna and Artemis." With a tear in her eye, the hologram disappeared.

"So, it's kinda my fault that Havoc is attacking?" Usagi asked, sadness in her voice.

"Not at all," Illyana comforted her. "Do not blame yourself for this. We can fix it, all right?"

Mako grabbed Usagi's hand, "We're in this together, Usagi-chan. We'll make things right again." Everyone else in the room agreed, and that's when Luna and Artemis ran in.

"Girls! Good, you're all ready together. We have some news about Havoc," Luna was exasperated as she looked between all of them.

Rei smiled, "Is it about what Ami just told us? Havoc being an ancient enemy and all?"

Artemis groaned, "Ami-chan. Always one-upping us."

"At least now we know," Ami said. "I think it can really help us in our fight. It explains why Havoc is so advanced, and how it works. It has a set plan. It launches a full-scale attack when it considers that enough time has passed that people are no longer worried." She stopped for a moment, "Like yesterday. We just need to stay on our toes. We can beat it, we just have to be smarter than it is, which is perhaps our only challenge."

Illyana grinned at her, "Not with you on our team, Ami." Ami blushed.

"So, exactly what are we supposed to do?" Rei stepped in.

Illyana looked to Ami, who gave her the go-ahead to answer. "Ami and I will calculate when the next attack will take place and where, based on the past attacks, and we will wait, and before they can kill anyone else, we will attack. I imagine that we will have to somehow find a way in to where exactly Havoc is, and we will have to figure out how to kill it, but at least now we have something."

"I'm gonna have to die again, aren't I?" Usagi asked begrudgingly.

Makoto laughed, "Yeah, but you always somehow find a way to come back to annoy us, Usagi-chan."

"Hey! That's not fair!" Usagi contested.

Rei joined in, "She's right, you know. You get more and more annoying with every rebirth, it seems."

"You're so mean to me, Rei-chan!" She complained. "I'm gonna go back to Mamo-chan's and tell him the new information." She stuck her tongue out at Rei and Mako before leaving.

As she walked, she made it to the main road and very suddenly felt an eerie presence. "Is someone there?" She looked around her. It was the middle of the day but, naturally, the streets were empty.

Something came up from the ground and grabbed her, holding her up in the air by her neck. A horrifying voice came from thin air, "Sailor Moon. I will kill you, and I will take this Earth with you!"

"No!" Usagi screamed, reaching for her compact.

She was stopped by an unfamiliar voice booming. "_Sonic Destruction_!" The beast was destroyed and Usagi landed softly on the ground. She looked frantically around before an unknown soldier stepped forward. She wore a fuku of black and a deep brown, her hair reached the back of her knees and had loose curls, and her eyes looked dead. She carried a sword that was not at all unlike Sailor Uranus's, and her pale face showed no emotion.

"Who... who are you?" Usagi asked nervously, stepping back and nearly falling off of the sidewalk and into the yard that was attached to it.

"Sailor Moon," her deep voice erupted. "I am Sailor Owl, and I'm sure you know why I'm here."

Nervously, Usagi shook her head, "What? How do you know who I am?"

"I've been watching you, and I know of all of the events that have been going on. I am the Goddess of Abolition. I hail from the Owl Nebula. I am like your Sailor Saturn, only I harbor the strength to destroy the entire universe." Her face didn't change at all as she spoke, not betraying any emotions. Usagi believed she didn't feel anything at all. "I was unable to save Andromeda, and the other galaxies that fell before and after it, and so I believe I will not be able to save this one, either. I fear it may be time for the universe to be reborn."

"Reborn? No! You can't destroy everything. Please, please, no. I can save the world. I have every time." Usagi pleaded.

"Except that time Sailor Saturn had to destroy things, right? Are you forgetting that time?" She began to circle around Usagi, looking her up and down. "You may be able to save this planet and its solar system, but you will never be strong enough to save the entire universe, Sailor Moon."

"No. I'll save everyone! I always do!" She was starting to cry at this point, it was her way, "Sailor Owl, please, give us time."

"There is not much time left, Sailor Moon. Either you destroy the enemy, or I destroy the universe. Time is running out." The part that bothered Usagi the most was the way she didn't care, nothing fazed her.

"I will kill Havoc, and we will save the universe. You'll see." Usagi composed herself and stared back at the seemingly soulless woman standing before her. "Me, my friends, and Sailor Andromeda will save everyone."

An impossible laugh erupted from the woman's throat, "Sailor Andromeda? You're working with that fraud? I'll give you a week." And just like that, she was gone.

Usagi clenched her fists. Sailor Owl not only insulted her, but she insulted her friends, and Usagi knew that they had to get serious about this. As she continued her walk to Mamoru's apartment, she relayed what happened to the girls via her communication watch. She could hear Illyana yelling, angry that Sailor Owl had the audacity to say such things, and promised that they would find out how to stop this before Owl had the chance to destroy the universe.

She pounded on Mamoru's door when she got back, and he opened it immediately, and pulled her into his arms. "Oh, Usako, I was so worried."

"Mamo-chan!" She whined, "I'm fine, I'm fine! I have to tell you everything that happened and what we found out."

He released her and shut the door, "Sorry, sorry, I just really didn't know when I would see you again after you left this morning."

She smiled at him, cupping his cheeks, "Thank you for caring so much. Now, I have to tell you everything."

They sat on his couch and she relayed everything back to him, from when they got to Ami's condo to her interaction with Havoc and, shortly after, Sailor Owl.

He weighed everything in his mind for a moment, and then gave her a fierce look. "Usako, you do realize that this could be just like with the Death Busters, and we could fail, and everything would be restarted again, right?" She nodded sadly. She had hoped he would give her some semblance of support, but he decided to be realistic instead. Unexpectedly, he continued, "Even if you do fail, though, it'll be all right. Things started over and we were still here, everyone. Everything was renewed."

He had been holding her, but she pushed him away then. "No, I will show you that I can save everyone, Mamo-chan. I'm sick of everyone doubting me!"

He threw his hands up in defense, "No one's doubting you, Usako. I just don't want you to feel bad if-"

She cut him off, "If what? If I can't do it, because I'm _so _weak, right? Whatever, Mamoru." She stood up and stormed out of his apartment.

"Usako! Wait!" He followed her out, but she continued to stomp away. He caught up with her in the stairs and grabbed her arm, turning her around. She had angry tears in her eyes and a scowl. "I don't want you to think I doubt you, I was just trying to comfort you."

She snatched her arm away, "I don't need anything from you." She went to turn back around but stopped. "I'm sorry, Mamo-chan, I just..." She broke down, "I want someone to believe in me for once, to know that I can do it. Someone that isn't me."

He pulled her into his arms and sighed, "Usako, you know I'll always believe in you. Everyone always has. Come on, I'll drive you home."

Usagi shook her head, "No, I need you safe. I'll be fine. I have a feeling Sailor Owl has been keeping an eye on me anyway."

She kissed him before continuing down the stairs, "I'll call you when I get home. Stay safe, Mamo-chan."

"And you, Usako." He turned back and went back into his apartment. He was getting sick of being locked up, but if it meant the safety of the Earth, he'd gladly comply.

Usagi exited the building and started making her way home when she saw someone running towards her. "Misaki?" _God, can't people leave me alone for five minutes?_

The young woman stopped when she reached her target, panting, and stuck her finger out to signal that she needed a second. After a moment, she stood straight up, "Usagi, Sailor Owl... she's going to attack."

Usagi rolled her eyes, "Yeah, I know. We had a little run in. She's giving me a week to save everyone or, surprise, she's going to destroy everything! Tell me something I don't know." She walked away, leaving Misaki frustrated and annoyed. Truth was, Usagi was still angry at her for lying to them (and mostly to Illyana).

As she rounded the corner to her house, Usagi heard desperate screams. She transformed in the backyard of an empty house and began to search for the source. She expected there to be a large group but, when she found the source of the screaming, she realized it was a trap.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Je sais, je sais! Another cliffhanger! I promise to chill out on them. So I was reading through what I wrote about Sailor Owl and when I was creating her over the summer, I hadn't seen Madoka Magica. Now that I have, I feel she bears a striking resemblance to Homura (except that Homura actually has, like, feelings and stuff). Anyway, anyway, anyway, please tell me what you think (super sorry if the beginning is confusing, that just means it didn't read how I wanted it to)! I'm definitely going to work on closing this thing up!


End file.
